Weekend Project: Barbecue for Everyone

I think for a lot of us, this weekend is summer's last hurrah.  And I think a lot of us also will be planning to cook out at some point.  Who doesn't associate summer with grilling and barbecue?  With the rise of food intolerances and the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles though, this old American past time needs an update.

This is the most basic version of an apple butter barbecue sauce that I use pretty regularly.  It's free of gluten, dairy, and onion, which are all common gastric irritants for people on medically restricted diets.  It's low acid, for people who have gastro-esophageal reflux disease.  And it's a lovely blend of tangy and sweet that works with most anything you want to dress it on-- grilled veggies, tofu, chicken, pork, you name it.

One note before I start on the basic recipe-- I prefer to use a locally produced, unsweetened apple butter.  If you're using one from the supermarket, it probably has more salt and sugar in it than what I'm starting with, and you'll need to adjust your recipe accordingly.

1 cup apple butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Now there are a lot of additions you can make to this base, depending on who you're feeding and how you like your sauce.  The base I've started from here should be safe for almost anyone-- not those with fructose intolerance, unfortunately-- but just about everyone else, though it's really not spicy at all.  Here are a few more additions to the base I've come up with.

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste if acidity is not a dietary issue.
Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic if garlic is tolerated.  Alternatively, add 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil if garlic tolerance is questionable.  Many people who don't tolerate garlic will tolerate infused oil as long as it contains none of the garlic solids.
Add 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder if GERD is not an issue.  Other chile powders will work, but I prefer the smokiness of ancho.  If you like a really spicy sauce, you'll want to add more than a teaspoon.
Add 1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper if GERD is not an issue.
Add 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon minced onion if onions are tolerated.
Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce if GERD is not an issue.  Check to be sure it's a gluten free brand if you're feeding GF people.

Keep in mind also, if you're feeding gluten free people, you'll want to check to be sure all the spices you use are gluten free.  Wheat based products are commonly used by some companies to prevent clumping in their spices.

Whatever you're doing for Labor Day this weekend, I hope it's a good one!  Happy holiday, everyone!