A week ago, I was home to belatedly celebrate my mother's birthday, as well as the return of my brother and his wife from a summer in Italy, when I dreamed up this sauce. While my brother has a special place in his heart for all things Italian, I knew he had been craving non-Italian food. I suppose a summer of eating pasta and delicious gelato might do that to you . . . so I wanted to make him a thoroughly American dinner. I made this sauce, to go with a spice-rubbed pork tenderloin (which I served with a green bean salad and made-from-scratch chili cornbread). The sauce nothing earth shaking, but when made with beautiful, farmer's market fresh apricots, it really is something else! You could use it as a condiment with pork, chicken, or a bbq-ed tofu. I also think it might be tasty on a ciabatta (or other crusty bread) sandwich with mild goat cheese and arugula. Enjoy!
1 pint apricots, halved and pitted
1 jalepeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and jalepeno, saute until garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add apricots, and cook until they begin to soften and release some of their juices, about 5 minutes.
Add brown sugar, stirring to dissolve, then add orange juice, chili powders, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until combined and sauce begins to thicken, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Can be made ahead and reheated!
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