Need help with a Mandarine Orange BBQ Sauce

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fishwrestler

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
OTBS Member
Apr 4, 2010
646
34
Loomis,CA
As some of you know I will be teaching a series of 4 smoking classes over the next 5 months. In October I am teaching an Introduction to Smoking Meat class. Novemebrs class with be Smoking Poultry. Then in January it will be Pork and February will be Beef. The Chef form the business that is hosting the class asked me to do something with mandarins since they will be in season. So with the task in front of me I stated experimenting today.

I made Mandarin Orange Barbecue Sauce and like the initial taste but it had a bitter after taste. I am thinking it is the pith and the skin on the actual mandarin meat maybe?

Would love some input from the peanut gallery oops I mean you great people here. I have posted the recipe I cam up with and if anyone can make and suggestions I would appreciate it. My first thought is to actually skin the mandarin meat then cut it up . or just use mandarin juice and some zest. all input appreciated.



1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar Splenda
1 Mandarin Cut in Small pieces
2 Mandarins pulverized in the food processor
1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh onion
3/4 teaspoon salt plus
1 garlic glove minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over
medium heat, stirring occasionally,until the mixture is heated through.
I then let it simmer for 15 minutes to reduce

thank you in advance for the input

Robert
 
Fishwrestler, you are getting MY honest opinion of the sauce and how I would develope it. Frist, the tomato soup should be a cheap ketchup ,there's already some vinegar in it , might not need too much more

, then my choice of sugar is turbinato(raw) sugar,( it is a brownish sugar already,if you want the molasses taste add some.) it doesn't carmelize as easily and darken the food ,

Mandarin oranges come in cans, pre-skinned so just give it a spin in the processor with onions and garlic say...

and the Italian Salad Dressing is odd here; with an acidic dressing as the oranges and vinegar will produce,the flavor may be off( hence the off taste).Come to think about it,Balsamic Vinegar would be good here with a nice sweetish taste, it would compliment the oranges as it does Strawberries...

Just some thoughts, maybe deconstruct it and start from #1.

Stan aka   oldschool

have fun and.....

Get  an Orange and use some of the grated skin in the processor to add more orange flavor to the sauce.
 
Yep, the pith in the meat is what gives it that funky taste. Go with canned madarins like OldSchool said, and use some zest from fresh ones for a flavor boost.

I'm not sure about Italian dressing, but I would certainly use balsamic vinegar instead. It is going to give you a mellow smoothness you cannot get with the dressing or any other ingredient.

Just curious....why splenda? Barbecue, and certainly a mandarin glaze/sauce is not diet food, so why try to make it such? Go with turbinado or brown sugar.....stay natural. You'll get better visual appeal on your meat with real sugars than the splendas and such.

Congratulations on your teachings, and good luck to you!

icon14.gif
 
As some of you know I will be teaching a series of 4 smoking classes over the next 5 months. In October I am teaching an Introduction to Smoking Meat class. Novemebrs class with be Smoking Poultry. Then in January it will be Pork and February will be Beef. The Chef form the business that is hosting the class asked me to do something with mandarins since they will be in season. So with the task in front of me I stated experimenting today.
I made Mandarin Orange Barbecue Sauce and like the initial taste but it had a bitter after taste. I am thinking it is the pith and the skin on the actual mandarin meat maybe?
Would love some input from the peanut gallery oops I mean you great people here. I have posted the recipe I cam up with and if anyone can make and suggestions I would appreciate it. My first thought is to actually skin the mandarin meat then cut it up . or just use mandarin juice and some zest. all input appreciated.

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed tomato soup- a me too on changing this to ketchup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar Splenda
1 Mandarin Cut in Small pieces
2 Mandarins pulverized in the food processor
1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing- as with the others I would eliminate this
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh onion
3/4 teaspoon salt plus
1 garlic glove minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar- I would change this to distilled vinegar, 2 competing fruit tastes
Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over
medium heat, stirring occasionally,until the mixture is heated through.
I then let it simmer for 15 minutes to reduce
thank you in advance for the input
Robert
I also would look into the canned oranges in syrup.

I also might keep some orange extract on hand in case you think the orange flavor needs a bit of enhancement.
 
Last edited:
Fishwrestler, you are getting MY honest opinion of the sauce and how I would develope it. Frist, the tomato soup should be a cheap ketchup ,there's already some vinegar in it , might not need too much more

, then my choice of sugar is turbinato(raw) sugar,( it is a brownish sugar already,if you want the molasses taste add some.) it doesn't carmelize as easily and darken the food ,

Mandarin oranges come in cans, pre-skinned so just give it a spin in the processor with onions and garlic say...

and the Italian Salad Dressing is odd here; with an acidic dressing as the oranges and vinegar will produce,the flavor may be off( hence the off taste).Come to think about it,Balsamic Vinegar would be good here with a nice sweetish taste, it would compliment the oranges as it does Strawberries...

Just some thoughts, maybe deconstruct it and start from #1.

Stan aka   oldschool

have fun and.....

Get  an Orange and use some of the grated skin in the processor to add more orange flavor to the sauce.


Thanks Old school and going to give it another try this weekend. I will post my changes and results


Yep, the pith in the meat is what gives it that funky taste. Go with canned madarins like OldSchool said, and use some zest from fresh ones for a flavor boost.

I'm not sure about Italian dressing, but I would certainly use balsamic vinegar instead. It is going to give you a mellow smoothness you cannot get with the dressing or any other ingredient.

Just curious....why splenda? Barbecue, and certainly a mandarin glaze/sauce is not diet food, so why try to make it such? Go with turbinado or brown sugar.....stay natural. You'll get better visual appeal on your meat with real sugars than the splendas and such.

Congratulations on your teachings, and good luck to you!

icon14.gif
Rivet,

True on the Splenda, I will try Turninado this weekend. . Thanks on the congrats. Did my first class last night and it was a success


I also would look into the canned oranges in syrup.

I also might keep some orange extract on hand in case you think the orange flavor needs a bit of enhancement.
Cliff. Will do

The I found some mandarin marmalade, so i will be using that, at the produce store I am teachign the class at. So I am going to try and use that this weeknd.

I will post up the results.

Thanks again everyone for the input..

Robert
 
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