This recipe was first developed back in June as one of two beer-based barbecue sauces I was messing around with as gifts for Father's day. The direction was split between smokey-sweet and spicy- hitting different areas on the flavour spectrum. Thus, this Spicy Thai Red Ale BBQ Sauce was born. The very first version of this ended up way thinner then a bbq sauce and had much more in common with a hot sauce- which honestly wasn’t such a bad thing. I used it as both a hot sauce and as a chicken marinade to great success. With some minor adjustments to the ingredients, the sauce thickened up more inline with the consistency of a BBQ Sauce yet still retained the spiciness characteristic of a hot sauce. It now toes the line between a hot sauce and a barbecue sauce; I tend to use it interchangeably depending on the meal.
All in all, the final result was a sauce that nailed some key Thai flavours. Extra spicy thanks to the combination of red Thai chili peppers, red curry paste and sriracha sauce. Thickened with sautéed onions, carrots and tomato paste. A little bit of fish sauce for some ocean saltiness. As for aromatics there’s garlic, ginger, lemongrass and full sprigs of cilantro. With a hit of fresh lime juice for that acidity, the final piece of the puzzle is a red or amber style beer.
The star of the show is a full tall boy of your favourite red ale. My choice? Dockside Red Ale by Bobcaygeon Brewing Company, a dark amber/red beer. With notes of toffee and roasted malts, it makes for one complex and delicious sauce. This is #NotAnAd since my life partner is the brewmaster and I love to use his beers as an ingredient in my cooking.
Adding the beer will thin the sauce out. Gently simmer until some of the beer has evaporated off and the tomate paste has begun to thicken the sauce. To help thicken it some more, use a hand blender to blend in the onion and carrots after they have softened enough. Don’t worry, this is a kid friendly recipe, the alcohol in the beer evaporates off even before the water in it.
After It’s done cooking, use a hand blender, food processor or blender to process the sauce until it’s nice and smooth. For the smoothest and thickest sauce, run it through a fine mesh sieve before storing it in jars/cans in the fridge.
Quick note: The level of spiciness for this sauce mainly depends on the red Thai chili peppers. They can range from extremely spicy to very spicy depending on environmental factors during the growing season and if they were bought at a grocery store, farmer’s market or were homegrown. Use your best judgement after a taste test and add another chili pepper or two if needed. Usually 2-3 peppers is enough to get quite the spicy kick.
Whether you use this as a hot sauce, in stir frys or as a marinade for tofu and various types of meat, you will not be disappointed. In fact, this will be featured in an oven-roasted chicken recipe coming up next. It’s also been tested on pork and steak so the possibilities are practically endless!
The verdict? Whether you call it a hot sauce or a bbq sauce, this spicy Thai red ale barbecue sauce is ON FIREEEEE.
Ingredients:
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3 tbsp olive oil
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1 medium white onion, diced
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1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
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1/2 tsp sea salt
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2-3 red Thai chili peppers, diced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tbsp ginger, peeled and grated
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1/4 cup tomato paste
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1 tbsp red curry paste
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1/2 tbsp lemongrass, minced or puree
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1 tsp cumin powder
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1 tsp coriander powder
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1 tall boy red or amber beer (473 mL)
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1 1/2 tbsp siracha sauce
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1 tbsp fish sauce
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2-3 sprigs cilantro
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2 limes, juiced (~1/4 cup)
Directions:
1. In a medium sized pot on the stove, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and salt. Stir occasionally and sautée for 5 minutes.2. Stir in the red Thai peppers, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, red curry paste, lemongrass, cumin and coriander powder. Stir and toast for an additional 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
4. Add the red ale, sriracha and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer, stir occasionally and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Add the sprigs of cilantro and lime juice. Use a spoon to scrape as much lime pulp out as possible. Continue to simmer/reduce the sauce for an additional 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Take off the heat. Puree using a hand blender, or run in a food processor/blender until smooth.
7. For an extra smooth hot sauce, run it through a fine mesh sieve with a large bowl beneath to catch all the sauce. Fill a large bottle or mason jars with the sauce and store in the fridge.