Peach Barbeque Sauce

After reading the Week 11 Cooking with Baby, my mom emailed to say that they had a bunch of fresh figs they'd been given by a family friend (and fig farmer, apparently). The letter of the week is F. So Figgy Focaccia made its debut at Sunday family dinner and a delicious time was had by all.

sans bleu cheese pour moi.

We can now enthusiastically recommend that recipe.
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As one of my favorite aunts pointed out, peaches > shrimp. This is true, so this week I opted to go with a peach recipe. However, I also acknowledge that peaches are seasonal, which limits the frequency with which one could enjoy this recipe. For a less seasonal option, I point you to this shrimp recipe, which we have made and enjoyed.

I have not made this exact peach barbeque sauce, but I did make a large batch of peach-bourbon sauce 2 or so years ago that I canned and gave as gifts—this recipe is very close, but probably better. If you make this (or any other featured recipe), send me a picture and I’ll post it.

This would be a good recipe for the kitchen-shy, as the chopping is really the most complicated part, and the measurements do not have to be exact. It looks like a long list of ingredients, but the recipe has only two steps. You can do it.

This sauce is from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook and would be excellent with pork—including ribs—or chicken. Or anything, really.

Peach Barbeque Sauce

makes about 1 quart

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 Vidalia (or other sweet onion), finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

6 peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped

½ cup bourbon (you don’t have to use your best bourbon, but make sure it’s something drinkable*. If you’re stuck, email me or BA)

not everyone has a bourbon bar? oh.

½ cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tsp chili powder

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is very soft. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the peaches, bourbon, vinegar, honey, mustard, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes until the peaches are tender.

2. Transfer the mixture into a food processor and process until very smooth. Cool to room temperature before using.

*As is the case with wine, you generally want to cook with something you would drink. From this spread, I would probably use the Maker’s or the Buffalo Trace (in decanter). If you only have Jack Daniel’s, as many people do, that will work just fine. Just know that it’s Tennessee whiskey, which is not the same thing as bourbon. For this purpose, that’s a technicality. That concludes this lesson.