Barbecue Sauce



Ingredients

1 poblano pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
½ Tbsp. smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups Dr. Pepper
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup



Preparation

• Char the poblano pepper over an open flame (ideally over applewood chips while you prepare your grill for the meat), until it is blackened. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam 10 minutes. When cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin. Remove the stem and seeds. Dice the pepper and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium. Saute the shallots and pepper until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Saute 1 minute, or until the vegetable mixture is very soft and bright red.
• To the pot, add the Dr. Pepper and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, until reduced by about one-third. Whisk in the ketchup and simmer another 5 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of sauce to cook with the pork steak.
• Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the remaining sauce into a small sauce pot. Discard the solids, and return the pot to the stove. Continue to reduce over medium-low heat until the sauce achieves desired consistency.