Nine-time national team member and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Bryan Volpenhein took time off from rowing following the 2005 World Championships to go to culinary arts school at The Art Institute of Seattle.

Starting in February, 2008, Bryan is providing a monthly recipe. This month's recipe is for a Coffee and Beer Barbeque Sauce.

Coffee and Beer Barbeque Sauce

1 cup sweet onion, diced
1 Poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup Cider vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mild molasses
1/2 cup honey
8 oz Porter or Stout*
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil

Makes about 4 cups.

Method:
Sauté onion and peppers in olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden. Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Add cider vinegar, molasses, honey, mustard and ketchup and stir to combine. Stir in beer and coffee. Add spices and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Puree until smooth. If you have a hand-held blender, that would be the easiest. If you use a regular blender, wait until sauce is cool before pureeing. If you can’t wait, be sure to leave plenty of room in the blender for the sauce to expand, working in batches if you have to. Cover the top of the blender with a towel and start on a slow speed and gradually increase. Store in airtight container and it will keep for about a month.

*I recommend using a porter or stout because they tend to have rich coffee and molasses in their flavor profiles, but any dark beer will work.

This sauce is very good on chicken thighs and legs as well as pork ribs.