Spent coffee grounds can be transformed into a smoky-sweet, intense barbecue sauce that works well with pulled mushrooms, grilled vegetables, and meat, according to a new recipe from Tom Hunt, author of Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet.
The recipe, which originally appeared in Hunt's book as part of a dish for Venezuelan corn cake arepas with pulled oyster mushrooms, has been adapted to include spent espresso grounds. Hunt says this not only reduces waste but also adds serious depth of flavour and complexity to the sauce.
To make the sauce, sweat two finely diced onions and four roughly chopped garlic cloves in two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over a medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until caramelised and soft. Stir in four tablespoons of spent espresso grounds, one tablespoon of smoked paprika, one teaspoon of ground allspice, and one teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and cook for five minutes.
Add four tablespoons of blackstrap molasses, two tablespoons of miso, 40ml of apple cider vinegar, and 100ml of cooked tomatoes (homemade or from a tin). Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until thickened. Leave to cool, then decant into a clean jar and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to six months.
