Jessup Cellars 2011 Zinfandel is an excellent food wine – it virtually pairs with anything barbecued, especially if it’s got some fat. I’ve blended this spicy Zinfandel that shows both bright and dark red fruits into a poppin’ barbecue sauce. The sauce is made with smoky chipotle peppers, garlic, dark Mexican chocolate, freshly brewed coffee and ground anchiote seeds, and is a perfect accompaniment for grilling of all types of meats and poultry. Remember, if you serve the wine that you’ve cooked with, it’ll will pair perfectly…
Jessup Cellars 2011 Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce Recipe
• 1 bottle Jessup Cellars 2011 Napa Valley Zinfandel
• 1 can of chipotle peppers packed in adobo (purred or chopped fine with adobo)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups white vinegar • 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 – cup molasses • 1 cups catsup
• 4 – dried pasilla chilies (toasted over an open flame)
• 1/4 cup papitas – dried pasilla chilis (toasted over an open flame)
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic • 2 tablespoons anchiote paste or powder
• 1/4 cup Mexican chocolate or dark coco powder
• 3 cups tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons salt
Method
Combine all the sauce ingredients into a large, heavy bottom saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook at a simmer for 45 minutes to and hour. Blend sauce with a hand held emulsion blender. If using a standard bar blender, let the sauce cool completely before blending!
Prepping Your Grill for Success
Fire up that grill and get it good and hot You’ll need to have a good grill brush, a professional grade pan release like Pam for Professional for the grill, a good long metal spatula, a long set of tongs, a clean half sheet or cookie sheet for the finished product and, most importantly, a bottle of Jessup Cellars Zinfandel wine to sip on while cooking.