Ancho Chile Lime Barbecue Sauce 

This thick and rich sauce will take your backyard barbecue from bland to bursting with flavor.  Its pleasant spicy heat is balanced by the sweetness of brown sugar and the tartness of fresh lime juice. Use it on grilled chicken or pork, and add it to your lineup of condiments for grilled burgers and hot dogs.

Makes:  1 ½ cups of sauce

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

2 Ancho chiles, stems removed
14 ounces tomato sauce
¼ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 limes*
Zest of 1 lime*
½ teaspoon salt

Place the chiles in a medium bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes, and drain the water.

To the bowl of a large food processor, add the tomato sauce, onion, garlic, brown sugar, mustard and lime juice. Add the rehydrated chiles.

Process on high for 20 seconds, until all ingredients are finely chopped.

Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan. Add ¼ cup water. Heat to a low boil on medium-high. Cover partially with a lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Stir in the lime zest and salt. Remove from the heat. Pour the sauce through a mesh strainer and drain into a medium-size bowl. Use a spatula to gently press the solids around the sides of the strainer until all the liquid has drained. Discard the solids.

The sauce is ready to top grilled meats or to be served as a condiment.

*We recommend using lemons and limes from Paramount Citrus. They are consistently fresh and juicy and available at most major grocery, mass and club retailers.