Barbecue sauce is like the path to enlightenment. There are many different ways to travel, all eventually arriving at culinary nirvana.

Barbecue sauce is versatile, and the subtle nuances that can be created through a combinations of ingredients make homemade barbecue a favorite of cooks to tweak, manipulate, and serve to willing friends and family guinea pigs.

One of my favorite ingredients for anything is coffee. I'm always searching out new recipes containing the sacred bean, and my explorations recently brought me to the book, "Discovery of a Continent," a compilation of foods, flavors and inspirations from Africa by renowned chef Marcus Samuelson (ISBN 978-0-470-17325-1). As you may or may not know, legend has it that coffee was first discovered by an Ethiopian farmer who notices the way his goats reacted after foraging from a particular bush. Braving the unknown, he brewed a cup of the bean and to his surprise and delight did not die, but discovered the proverbial nectar of the gods.

Centuries have passed and coffee has found its way into a variety of delectable recipes. My recent find combines classic flavors of barbecue with a "secret" infusion of Kenyan coffee - some of the finest in the world. The medium bodied coffee, with hints of lemon and floral overtones adds a unique twist to barbecue. Other "unique" ingredients give this sauce a memorable twang and a richness unsurpassed among other sauces I've tried.

The actual recipe suggest this sauce on pork tenderloin. However, it's just as delicious on chicken, and infused into a good beef roast. Throw away your preconceived notions when you read the list of ingredients; go out on a culinary limb, and you will be rewarded with one of the best barbecue sauces you've ever created!

Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Sauce (approximately 2 cups sauce):

1/2 C. brewed Kenyan coffee

1/2 C. ketchup

1/4 C. cider vinegar

1/2 C. molasses

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate

Combine all ingredients except the chocolate in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Add the chocolate and cook, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted (2-3 minutes). Set aside until ready to serve.

Learn more about this author, Gina Lawton.
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