Carambola BBQ Sauce This tangy and sweet BBQ sauce adds a tropical twist to grilled meats and vegetables. The star fruit’s natural sweetness complements the smoky flavors of the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Carambola juice, plus 1 cup chopped ripe carambola (fresh)
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice (fresh)
• 2 large yellow onions ; chopped
• 5 cloves garlic ; chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar ; firmly packed
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 10 each dried chiles ; rehydrated (Ancho or Guajillo depending on your preference)
  
  
• Grab chiles and vinegar. Toast chiles over flame or in sauce pan until soft and brown, turn frequently to avoid scorching. Transfer chiles to sauce pan and add vinegar and water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil, and saute onions until soft and golden brown, add carambola fruit,  garlic at finish to release flavor. Then add cumin, cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and reserved chili paste. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• In a bowl mix brown sugar, carambola juice, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt and pepper to form a paste. Add chili mix to simmering stock mixture and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Puree mixture using an immersion blender, if you use a regular blender be sure sauce is cool if using a blender or it will explode. Sauce should be about the thickness of barbeque sauce when finished.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
• Carambola bbq sauce will stay refrigerated for 1 week, or frozen indefinitely.

This will make about 1 quart of bbq sauce.  As the sauce reduces the flavor intensifies, so before adding any additional spices, assure it is reduced long enough.