One of the first personalized bbq sauces I’ve ever made was this tamarind bbq sauce and in the process I learned the foundation of making good tomato based bbq sauces. I have a number of sauces I’m still to share with you as we dig deeper into this culinary tour of the Caribbean, so do stay tuned in. Using a less glamorous fruit from the Caribbean called Tamarind (In trinidad and Tobago we refer to it as tambran) to add a wonderful jolt of true Caribbean vibe to this versatile bbq sauce (can be used as a dipping sauce as well), the final taste will surely excite your taste buds.
One of my first memories of tamarind is sucking back on a piece fresh off the tree and that wicked punch of sour where your taste buds go into immediate shock… thinking about it brings my mouth gushing with water from that memory. Those of you in North America.. it’s similar to the sour candy you enjoyed as a kid… the ones your friends would dare you to place in your mouth and not open it.
You’ll Need…
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cider vinegar
1 large onion diced (I used a sweet onion)
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoon yellow mustard (commercial stuff is fine)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3/4 cup tamarind pulp (see note below)
Notes: You’ll need between a cup and a cup and half of hot water to prepare the tamarind pulp into a liquid form. You can certainly add some cinnamon and fresh herbs to personalize this Tamarind BBQ Sauce if you like. When using the scotch bonnet pepper try to wear gloves as the oils can be painful on your bare skin and try not to use the seeds, since that’s where a lot of the heat is.
The first thing we need to do is dice the onion and pepper very small.. remember to not use the seeds of the pepper if you’re concerned about explosive heat. Put the tamarind paste into a bowl and top it with hot water (I used just over a cup of boiling water). The hot water will allow us to break the tamarind down into a concentrated liquid form.
In a deep sauce pan on medium heat, pour in the olive oil (to help cook the onions and it will also give the finished tamarind bbq sauce a brilliant sheen), then empty in the diced onion. Turn your heat down to low and let this slowly cook for 5 minutes (remember to stir). It will soften up, go translucent and release it’s natural sugars.
After 5 minuets it’s time to add the black pepper and allspice.. this step will help toast the spices a bit and release it’s flavors. Cook that for a minute or two, then start adding everything else into the pot (see video below).. except the tamarind. Raise your heat to medium to bring to a gentle boil (remember to keep stirring). As this comes to a boil, the water with the tamarind pulp should be cool enough for you to handle.
Using a fork (at first), break up the tamarind pulp, then get in with your fingers and massage it. This action will release the pulp and the water will become a sort of tamarind concentrate. Discard as much solid (seeds and fibers) as you can. Now strain the liquid into the pot and give it a good stir.
Turn the heat back up so you get this back to boiling, then turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. The idea is to cook this very slowly so all the flavors marry and form a tasty tamarind bbq sauce. Typically after 30 minutes it will be finished, but I allowed my batch to go for 45 minutes to really thicken up. You can leave it for additional time if you want a more thick bbq sauce. Do remember that when the sauce cools it will also thicken up quite a bit.
Not only will you have the satisfaction of knowing you made your own BBQ sauce, you’ll now have the most tasty tamarind bbq sauce you’ll ever enjoy. This sauce is not only meant for grilling, it makes a wicked dipping sauce for your chicken fingers and is a great topping for burgers. Store in glass containers in the fridge and it will remain good for at least a couple months (it won’t last.. you’ll find uses for it before then)
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Hello Chris I am trying my black cake for the first time this year. wish me luck.
Great stuff! I’ve found my barbecue sauce! I’ve been experimenting for a while, decided to try something with tamarind, and used this recipe. I think this is the best, at least to my taste, sauce I’ve ever made.
I modified your recipe only slightly. I substituted 2 tbsp. Sriracha for the Scotch bonnet, used 1 tsp of allspice, and for tamarind used 1/2 of a 16 oz package of tamarind. Everyone loved the balance of sweet, tangy and a touch of heat. It went very well on smoked pork ribs and pulled pork. Yum.
Wow! Simply amazing. Put this on some chicken kabobs and they were a hit. It was exactly what I was looking for! We managed to find tamarind paste that was jarred and already prepared. Made life easy…
This tamarind BBQ sauce is just what you promised, tangy, tasty, indeed wicked. Love your site. Thanks
What a terrible recipe site with the 'online chicken recipe' flashing over the text ALL THE TIME. Horrible experience and I can't concentrate on the recipe!
Most of your recipes look quite yummy — but virtually all have meat. I love the spiciness and fresh produce you use! But even most of your "vegetarian" dishes have fish! This makes it hard to adapt your recipes to something I can use.
Also, I am surprised you use "curry powder". In my experience, curry powder ruins every dish it is used in. Maybe I have just always tried the wrong "curry powders", but in 45 years of cooking, I have never found a good one, and now just mix spices myself. I would be interested in vegan, gluten-free recipes with the actual spices and quantities listed.
Do you have any good recipes with coconut flour instead of wheat flour, etc.?
Thanks for sharing your recipes! They look delicious and flavour-filled!
Hi Chris:
I can't recall how I learned about your website but I do enjoy the recipes (at least reading about them and watching the videos). I live in Washington, DC and I am from Jamaica. I like the new twist you've given to a time tested recipe, escovitch fish. I do intend to try the Tamarind BBQ sauce and the Oxtail cooked in stout. Thanks for the nostalgia and for expanding my culinary education. I have a busy schedule but your recipes are at the top of my list to do. Once again, thanks for the memories.
Gloria
I just made a double batch for an end of summer lime we're having tomorrow. I got fresh tamarind at the farmers market, so I used that…also added some granulated garlic and instead of chopping up the pepper I dropped a whole pepper into the pot as it was simmering and fished it out at the end. Perfection! Thanks for a great recipe! (Couldn't find molasses anywhere around these parts, no matter. I just caramelized the sugar in the olive oil).
I'll be making this for the 4th of July!