Whiskey Grilling Sauce

Five ingredients, one bowl, ten minutes. This is the kind of grilling sauce you mix while the coals are heating and brush on right before the meat comes off the fire.

Pineapple juice does double duty. The natural sugars caramelize on the grill grates for that lacquered, sticky-glaze finish, and the bromelain enzyme tenderizes the protein if you use it as a marinade. The soy sauce brings the salt and umami, ginger adds warmth, and the whiskey burns off its alcohol over the heat while leaving behind a smoky, oaky sweetness.

Use it three ways: marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours before grilling, brush on during the final minutes of cooking, or boil it down by half on the stove and use as a finishing sauce at the table.

Pro Tips

• Use 100% pineapple juice, not pineapple drink or cocktail. The juice has the natural sugars and acidity the sauce needs.
• Brush on during the last 5 minutes of grilling, not earlier. The sugar will scorch before the meat finishes cooking.
• If marinating, do not exceed 4 hours. The pineapple enzymes will turn the meat mushy on a long soak.
• Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, or rye all work. Use what you’d drink. Cheap whiskey makes harsh sauce.

Variations

• Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey if you want a thicker, sweeter glaze.
• Add a splash of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
• Swap the pineapple juice for orange juice and add a teaspoon of zest for a citrus-forward version.