This apple butter barbecue sauce is a quick, homemade substitute for store bought versions. Try it on meatloaf or use it to braise meat in the slow cooker.
Back in the Fall, I did a little project with the folks at All-Clad, in which they sent me the NS1 Chef’s Pan from their their new line of NS1 Nonstick Induction cookware and I used it to make a batch of really delicious batch of Kabocha Squash, Coconut, and Wild Rice Stew.
In March, I did it again. That time, they sent me an NS1 Stock Pot and I make a pot of roasted tomato and basil soup to brighten up a cold winter day.
I always enjoy these cookware challenges because they give me opportunities to play with a really fabulous pans and push myself outside my regular culinary patterns. So, when they got in touch again back in April and asked if I might want to do it again, this time with their d5 Stainless Steel All-In-One Pan, I said yes.
The particular challenge with this piece of cookware was to design a recipe that only used five ingredients, to mimic the five layers of metal that makes up the pan. I decided on building a five ingredient barbecue sauce, using a jar of apple butter as the base.
The result was a tasty, tangy, spicy sauce that is perfect for summer cookouts and slow cooker pulled pork. And it’s always useful to be able to make a sauce like this from scratch with pantry ingredients for those times when you don’t have any ready made in the pantry.
To make the sauce, you combine a pint of apple butter with apple cider vinegar, finely chopped onion, honey, and a couple heaping spoonfuls of gochugang in the pan and cook until it is thick and the onion is tender (also, add some salt and pepper to taste).
I like to scrape the finished sauce into a large measuring cup and zap it with an immersion blender to smooth it out, but that’s totally optional.
As you can see, I also used the pan to roast off some chicken legs that I then painted with my tangy sauce. I’d also use this sauce on top of turkey meatloaf, on grilled burgers, and will happily combine it with some chicken thighs in the slow cooker for pulled chicken sandwiches.
Disclosure: All-Clad sent me the pan you see pictured above and they’re provided a giveaway unit, both at no cost to me. No additional compensation was provided.
Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pint apple butter
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 small onion finely chopped (I use a mini food processor)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2-3 heaping tablespoons gochugaru it’s a fermented Korean chili paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the apple butter, vinegar, chopped onion, honey, and gochugaru in a low, wide pan.
- Set the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring regularly, until onions are soft.
- Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Scrape sauce into a deep measuring cup or bowl and puree it with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Funnel into a jar and refrigerate.
I’ve been making a ton of risottos lately with whatever veggies are fresh at the market — this pan would be perfect for that!
pulled pork sounds like the perfect application!
I’d love to have this pan for braising, frying, saucing, so many things!
That BBQ sauce sounds delicious! I’d definitely try it on chicken, but think it would work well for pulled pork as well.
I’m intrigued by the double handles on this pan; it seems really easy to take it from stovetop to the oven. And I’d use that lovely BBQ sauce on burgers, since we’re just starting grilling season.
That barbecue sauce sounds good! I would use it to make sure all my apple butter gets eaten. I always make a lot, but people are only excited about eating it in fall. This recipe makes apple butter sound amazing for a hot summer night.
I love your recipes so I’d like to try the APple Butter Bar-b-que sauce with some chicken !!
THANKS
I’m a big fan of All Clad – their steamer is one of the best cooking items I have ever bought. Love the idea of all in one – risotto would be in order here and some stews!
I would brown roasts for sure and cook down sauces quickly, would be a great addition in my kitchen
I have been going through my old recipes lately and found a chicken, cream, pecans etc with vermouth. I used to make it quite often but haven’t made it in about 15 years so I would try that one again.
I’d love to use this pan for all my one pot dinners and the bbq sauce sounds amazing on a pulled pork roast!
I would use the pan top make some home fries. We have a bbq planned for this weekend, and adding some home fries to the mix would be a nice alternative to chips.
Ohhhh, I love that pan! I would make a braised chicken for dinner or maybe get it super hot and make smashed burgers.
Would be a good pot for making sauces and such. Would love to replace the non-stick one I have now.
I love All Clad pots & pans! I m poking for a smaller pan to use for small batches. This sounds perfect. I. An’t wait to try the Apple Butter Bar-B- Que sauce. Thanks so much for the fantastic blog.
i would love to make jam in this pot!
I think it would be perfect for pot roast!
A summer risotto would be lovely in this pot. The bigger base will be good for the evaporation. Maybe a corn and green chili risotto might need to be made in this pot.
so many things – roasting, braising!
Two handles, manageable size … what wouldn’t I make in this pot? Perfect for reducing, can go in the oven: braises, jams, truly an everyday pot.
I’d use the pan to make my favorite Indian recipes!
I love the 2 handles! I’d make the bbq sauce then fry up some plantains to dip in the sauce.
Would love to try that BBQ sauce on pulled pork!
As a single veghead household, I would use this pan for risottos or soups. I love making soups and reducing them for flavor. I love the wider bottom for browning the veggies first. Myfirst meal would be a butternut squash soup. I would brown onion, garlic, carrots, celery, squash, granny smith apple, sweet potato and russet potato before adding the liquid. Season and cook everything and then blend with an immersion blender Yum!
So looking for a pan without a handle so I can go from stove to oven easier. This one would be a lot of fun to own!
I really am a sucker for a good pot roast and this looks like one would nestle into it quite nicely!
I love a 4 qt pan for so many things. I can see cooking chili or soup in this pan, or a nice small braise for two.
The pan looks perfect for a spring green Chili Verdi !
This pan would be great for searing meats before roasting them.
Looks like the perfect vessel to make small batch jam.
Sweet corn risotto. Veggie paella.
It’s getting to be summery outside and that means cooking on the grill! I’ve been wanting to make turkey burgers and your sauce would be a great addition!
This pan is perfect for Mediterranean chicken with olives, lemon and garlic. Put 6 bone-in chicken thighs skin-up in the pan, dribble with olive oil, and season with sea salt, chopped rosemary, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Nestle slices of a whole lemon and 6 halved cloves of garlic between the thighs. Roast uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the chicken skin is well browned. Add a handful of pitted Kalamata olives and a cup of chicken stock. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve over toast with a dry white wine.
I would make risotto in this pan. Or jam. Or maybe just hashbrowns.
I would make apple butter in it this fall. I am going to try this bbq sauce recipe and see what it tastes like it would go with. Thanks.
I’d love to cook this sauce up in the All-Clad and serve it on pulled pork sandwiches.
I would use the BBQ sauce on pulled chicken for sandwiches. yum!
I would most DEFINITELY make paneer Chana masala in this pot, one of my favorite dishes everywhere, and of course I would use my recently acquired skill of making the paneer cheese from scratch! While I’m skilled at paneer, I’ve never been lucky enough to try and all-clad, the stuff of my dreams!
BBQ sauce is a “go-to” condiment in my house–we’d use it on everything! 🙂
I like to make Thai curries — this looks like it would be the perfect size and style of pan for making a good curry.
I think I’d do a lot of beans and rice and omelettes.
I would cook all the things! And that bbq sauce sounds perfect on chicken thighs mmm
My mom is teaching me how to cook some of her special meals. I would like to cook her chicken cordon bleu without cream. Just fabulous with an All-Clad pan and its tight fitting lid
I would love to try your BBQ sauce on tofu that would be cooked in the fabulous looking All-Clad d5 . The All-clad pans do clean up well and that is half the battle
I would love to cook my stir-fries in that pan. And also use it as the serving dish–so shiny!
This pan would solve a lot of problems in my kitchen. Lately I have been doing a lot of one-pot meals, and this pan would be brilliant for braises. Also, it would be awesome for risotto. Oooh, and curries.
Gochugaru?!? That sounds intriguing, so maybe I would attempt a recipe with that. I’m always up for a new ingredient…
I’ve been really into all things shredded meat these days, so heck yes to the using your delicious barbecue sauce on some pulled pork–would make a nice change from my regular recipe!
I love gochugaru. I would use this on grilled chicken thighs or make grilled chicken kebobs.
This would be perfect for cooking up my sugar free bacon balsamic bbq sauce. I love to make a double batch and freeze some.