Blackberry season is winding down around here, but I managed to find just enough of them to make a batch of one of my favorite steak sauces before they disappeared for good. I call it steak sauce, but this one is outstanding on any kind of grilled meat including venison, beef, chicken, and pork. Sometimes I even toss my fried chicken wings in it for a slightly sweet and very tangy twist on classic buffalo style.

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This versatile sauce is perfect for any type of grilled meat. Images by author

To start, you will need about two cups of wild blackberries. Good thing, since that’s all about an hour’s worth of searching netted a few mornings ago when I went to check some camera sites in preparation of the upcoming deer season. The summer is flying by. Early archery will be here before you know it.

Give the berries a good rinse to make sure you don’t have any debris or insects mixed in. Add them to a saucepan over medium heat. Next, add a half cup of red wine. Red wine is the perfect addition to a sauce meant for meat. They just go together.

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Add the berries to the pan and pour in the red wine.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the butter, and don’t forget the lime juice. The added citrus and acid really give the sauce a bright flavor. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the berries soften.

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Add the remaining ingredients except for the butter.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until it melts fully and the sauce becomes silky.

At this stage of the game, you have a couple of choices. If you prefer your sauce chunky and rustic, just use a fork to mash the berries and call it done. If you want it a little smoother, break out the immersion blender and go to town in the pan. An alternative method is to transfer the mixture to your food processor and give it a whirl until smooth.

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Process or blend the sauce for a smoother consistency.

You can take it a step further if you prefer by straining the sauce through a cheesecloth lined sieve to get the seeds out, but I don’t mind the seeds so I usually skip this step.

Let the sauce cool and pour it into a jar. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a month, but I bet it will be gone before then.

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Store your sauce in a jar kept in the refrigerator.

Use the sauce like a traditional steak sauce, drizzled over a nice grilled venison steak or treat it like a BBQ sauce and brush it onto food as it grills. Heck, I’ve even spooned it over vanilla ice cream. Like I say, it’s pretty versatile.

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