RECIPE: WATERMELON BARBEQUE SAUCE

May is National Barbeque Month, which makes sense because May also includes Memorial Day which, in my opinion, is the unofficial start of summer and grillin’ season.

Of course, I don’t need good weather or a national holiday to convince me to fire up my grill. Even though I live in Pennsylvania, where the winters can be brutal, I usually grill all year round. Granted, it’s not that often in the winter (I’ve been known to shovel a path through the snow to get to my grill), but I still won’t pass up an opportunity to flame broil some burgers and steaks.

I’ve been meaning to grill more chicken, and when I do I’ll definitely whip up some of this Watermelon Barbeque Sauce. You can actually use it on pork, fish, or chicken, which makes it pretty versatile. It’s also easy to customize. After you make it and taste it, you can add more brown sugar if you like your sauce sweeter or throw in some more red pepper flakes for a little more heat. Me? I’ll probably add a little more of both!

Watermelon Barbeque Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup watermelon juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Stir all ingredients together. Pour enough sauce over vegetables, chicken, pork, fish or shellfish to marinate. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Baste with additional sauce while grilling or broiling. Sauce not used for marinating or basting can be spooned over cooked vegetables and meats.