STICKY BBQ SAUCE & RECIPES

Bring on the BBQ sauce. We've come up with a great one that you can customize with your pantry of silky, dark balsamics. Here's the basic recipe with some of our suggestions to make sticky ribs, chicken, shrimp, veggies and even nutty tempeh.

The secret to sticky? Grill low and slow with lots of brushing during the process for meats and a quicker sear for shrimp, veggies and tempeh with the same attention to brushing with BBQ sauce. Another tip? Split your grill heat by leaving one burner lit and the other unlit. Cook on the unlit side until done, then move to lit side for crispy, sticky finish.

A great idea for sturdier veggies? Blanche in boiling water for one minute before placing on grill.

Oiling your grates is key, too. It helps to keep your food from sticking in the early stages of cooking. As well, we recommend brushing a light coating of olive oil on both sides before grilling takes place. Good tips for keeping things saucy and sticky and not stuck to the grill. 

For those who can't grill outdoors, you can oven roast low and slow on medium heat at 300 degrees, following the same directions for turning and brushing as well as adding a light coating of olive oil before placing on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy clean-up. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup Traditional 18-Year-Old balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire OR soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown Sugar
1/2 tsp fine Kosher salt
Optional: 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. More simmer is better than less. Set aside until cooled. You can store the BBQ sauce in an airtight container in your fridge for at least a couple of weeks. 

If you want to achieve a one-of-a-kind flavour, substitute Traditional with Black Mission Fig, Black Cherry, Maple or Pomegranate. They're delicious drizzled as a finish, too.

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GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS WITH STICKY BBQ SAUCE

Preheat well-oiled grill to medium-high leaving one side of grill unlit. Cut off tips from wings and use for stock at a later date. Break wings in half at joint. Pat dry  and brush lightly on both sides with olive oil to prevent sticking on grates. Place skin side down on unlit side of greased grill for no more than 15 minutes, turning once and rendering out. Place BBQ sauce in large bowl. Remove wings from grill and toss in BBQ sauce. Then return wings to lit side of grill for final cooking and crisping, around 5 to 7 minutes, turning once. Continue to brush with sauce until lightly charred and ready to serve. Top with additional BBQ sauce before serving.

MIXED VEGGIE GRILL WITH STICKY BBQ SAUCE

Clean, trim, cut in thick slices or pieces. You choose the best farm fresh vegetables you can find. Pat dry. Brush with thin coating of olive oil. Heat well oiled grill on medium to medium low. Place  the vegetables in a single layer, starting with heartier veggies first (eg. peppers, onions, mini-potatoes) followed by more tender veggies (eg. zucchini, mushrooms, tomato and eggplant). Brush veggies with BBQ sauce. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn veggies to other side, brush with additional BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 2 to 5 minutes until tender but still firm. Option: For heartier veggies you can parboil for 1 to 2 minutes before following recipe.

GRILLED TEMPEH WITH STICKY BBQ SAUCE

    Preheat well-oiled grill to medium. Remove tempeh from package and cut into thick 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Brush with olive oil to prevent sticking to grills. Place on grill brushing BBQ sauce on top-side. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Before turning over, brush with additional BBQ sauce. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes until tender and charred. Top with additional BBQ sauce before serving.

    GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH STICKY BBQ SAUCE

    Preheat grill on medium-low. Peel and devein fresh or frozen shrimp. Place on water-soaked skewers. Brush with olive oil to prevent sticking to grates. Before placing on grill brush with BBQ sauce. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes in total. Turn, then brush with additional BBQ sauce. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top with additional BBQ sauce before serving.

    GRILLED PORK RIBS WITH STICKY BBQ SAUCE

    Before you begin grilling any type of rib, follow our recipe here.

    Once pre-cooked and tender, set aside while you preheat your grill on medium-high with well-oiled grates. Brush ribs with BBQ sauce on one side, then place down on the grill. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn, brush with BBQ sauce and keep turning and brushing until you achieve a shellac-like coating: super sticky and glossy. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.