Pomegranate BBQ Sauce

I've always thought that Lamb and the sweet/tart taste of pomegranate are a match made in heaven. Or at least a match made in the middle east - it's a familiar combination. Anyhow, I've been thinking about a BBQ sauce for lamb chops that would elevate a nice big thick grilled chop to haute cuisine status. And I think I nailed it last weekend. No pictures unfortunately, but I'm always happy to share a recipe in case anybody wants to try this out. It worked perfectly for me. Just give me props when you are rich and famous...

1 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1 TBS Minced Shallot
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Molasses (syrup - you find it in middle eastern stores)
1 Cup Beef Stock/Broth
4 TBS Butter
Pinch Sugar
Salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, sweat the garlic and shallot for a few minutes in the Olive Oil (don't brown it). Whisk in the syrup and the beef stock and increase the heat to boil the liquid. Continue to boil and reduce it to a thick consistency - reduced in half - about 8 minutes. Take it off the heat and whisk in the butter a tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Salt, pepper and the sugar to taste (rounds out the tartness of the syrup)

Grill up some lamb chops and apply at the very end of your grill session like a glaze. I even used this on Salmon with great success (but I might swap out the beef stock for chicken if I was to do it again with fish or chicken) Hope this is a good addition to your bag of tricks!

I'm not a fan of pomegranate but your recipe does look interesting! Just how sweet is the sauce?

Sweet, but nicely balanced with a bit of tartness. I found that it really rounded out the flavor of the lamb. Of course if pomegranate isn't your thing, then it might not be for you. I had been thinking about coming up with a nice glaze for lamb chops (and lula kebab) for a while and this one worked for me. Tomato based BBQ sauces just seem to compete too much with the flavor of lamb.

That sounds GREAT!