The Vibrant Fruits That Give Your BBQ Sauce A Little Something Extra

Barbecue sauce is at once both simple and nuanced. It's simple in that you really only need a few select ingredients to concoct a mouthwatering sauce; but it's nuanced in the fact that there are so many different ingredients to implement to alter the taste. Whether you're after something smoky, sweet, fruity, or anything in between, there's a barbecue sauce recipe out there waiting to be found — or you can just make it yourself, of course. Barbecue sauce is all about customization, after all, and this is made clear when you ask the original Grillin' Fool himself (and one half of the duo behind The Cookin' Fools), Scott Thomas.

Thomas had an exclusive chat with Chowhound to talk about all things sauce-related, and he revealed that there are some exciting fruits just waiting to be used in your next sauce. Fruits like apples and peaches are good, but not very adventurous, so he suggests some less thought-of fruits. "Other popular options are watermelon, orange juice, and lime juice (along with a little corresponding rind)," Thomas said. "With all three of these, the BBQ sauce will need to be cooked down to remove the tasteless water, thus leaving behind the flavor of the fruits. And for watermelon, use quite a lot and cook it down, or it won't have much impact on the flavor profile." With these fruits in your arsenal, and even a touch of robust coffee for good measure, your boring barbecue days will be behind you.

It's all fine and dandy to say that you should implement some citrus or watermelon in your next batch of barbecue sauce, but that won't do you much good if you don't know how to include those ingredients. Even then, it won't be very much use if you don't know what foods to use it with. Thankfully, though, Scott Thomas has come through with insights pertaining to both issues, leaving you with no other worries besides finding out when you'll brew your next sauce.

When it comes to making the sauce, Thomas keeps things clear. "Start off with a little oil in the bottom of a sauce pot over medium heat," he said. "Drop in a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of the citrus rind, and sweat that rind in the oil for just a little bit. Then, pour in the citrus juice and let that cook down a bit before pouring in the BBQ sauce, and cook the whole pot down." Once that sauce is brewed and bottled, it's ready to use on the barbecue fare of your choice. But, according to Thomas, some are better-suited than others. "These are best on pork and chicken," he said. "[They] take on those sweet flavors better than beef. Also, seafood is not a great idea, either. Most seafood is too delicate to stand up to the bold flavors of BBQ sauce." With its role well-set, you can add new sauces to your next grilling session.

Sure, you can add one or more of these fun fruits to your next sauce, but why should you go out of your way to do that in the first place? You don't want to do unnecessary work, but Scott Thomas is here to tell you that these fruits certainly carry their weight in flavor. "Orange or lime juice make for a more tropical or Caribbean flavor profile," he said. "If making your own BBQ sauce from scratch, cut back on the vinegar and use the citrus juice for that acid." This tip will not only help to balance your sauce, but will also cut back on a potentially acrid vinegar in favor of delicious citrus juice. As for watermelon, Thomas keeps it simple. "[It] just tastes like summer," he said.

To incorporate your fruit, Thomas accentuates sweetness. "Fresh is ideal," he said. "But overly ripe fruit that might be a little too mushy to eat will make for fine additions for BBQ sauce." He's also pretty adamant on roasting certain fruits, too. "Browning the fruit really brings out the flavor of the sugars. Then, purée the roasted fruit. That will really launch that BBQ sauce into the stratosphere, as those more intensely-flavored sugars will be much more robust than simply chopping up an apple or peach into the BBQ sauce."