Jeffrey Buben’s Barbecue Sauce

Recipe from Jeff Buben

Adapted by Marian Burros

Published July 11, 1995

Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(6)
Comments
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Marian Burros's brought this recipe to The Times in 1995 when she wrote about the kickoff of the Department of Agriculture's new school lunch program in which several acclaimed chefs took part. One of them was Jeffrey Buben, the chef and co-owner of Vidalia Restaurant in Washington, who made barbecue beef with onion slaw. Ms. Burros said, "he ought to bottle the barbecue sauce." The secret ingredient? A half cup of decaffeinated coffee. —Marian Burros

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • ¼ cup minced onion

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 ½ teaspoons minced jalapeno pepper

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • ½ cup tomato paste

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ cup strong brewed decaffeinated coffee

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • ½ cup less 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

  • ½ cup less 1 tablespoon apple cider

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

9 grams carbs; 69 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 202 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium saucepan, saute the onions, garlic and jalapenos in oil until they glisten, about a minute. Cover the pan, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the tomato paste, and saute about 2 minutes more.

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well, and bring to a full boil. Reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    When meat is cut, spoon juices from meat into sauce.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
6 user ratings
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Comments

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AAS

This was very good. I didn’t get a “wow factor” response from myself or my guests, but everyone agreed it was excellent. Adding some drippings would have taken it up a notch; I forgot to do that.

JRussell

I used regular coffee, which tasted delicious. Also substituted some water and lemon juice for the apple cider, since I'm living in Italy and apple cider is not available. So much better than the sugary, fake-tasting sauces on the shelves.

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Credits

Adapted from Jeff Buben of Vidalia

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