In creative kitchens around the world, pineapple sauces abound. For some cooks, the first thought associated with the sauce is as a sweet topping for cakes or ice cream. For others, it means ham, lamb, or other meaty meals. Still others like to whip up a pineapple sauce that bites back a bit to use as a marinade or to serve as a relish.
The simplest sweet pineapple sauce is as easy as opening a can of crushed pineapple and cooking it on a stove top with a little cornstarch and butter to thicken it. This sauce brings out the angel in angel food cake and can transform a plain bowl of vanilla ice cream into something fit for company. Home cooks who prefer to cook fresh can create an even finer sauce using fresh pineapple rather than canned. Additions such as chopped basil or mint and ginger lend a tropical flavor.
A great many ham lovers see it as a fine excuse to slurp some savory pineapple sauce. The ubiquitous sauce that most folks grew up with is a simple combination of crushed pineapple, lemon juice, and mustard that’s been sweetened with a little maple syrup or brown sugar and cooked a bit to thicken it. With a world of herbs, spices, and other ingredients at their fingertips, though, cooks with more sophisticated tastes can have a blast in the kitchen experimenting with other options.
Bathing lamb, chicken, or fish in an orange-pineapple sauce that includes toasted coconut, pecans, or walnuts and some ginger will make it taste like it’s just come back from the islands. Another Caribbean interpretation marries the sweet and savory flavors of pineapple, cucumbers, and oranges with onion, lime juice, and cilantro. This sauce gets its sweet from a few spoons of honey, and some jalapeno or other hot chili peppers will make it dance.
A peanut buttery barbeque marinade melds canned crushed pineapple with curry powder, ginger, and lime juice. Smooth peanut butter adds bulk and flavor, and brown sugar turns it into a sweet and sour sauce. This one is perfect for chicken, either grilled in pieces or on skewers.
Cooks who’ve earned their silver spoons will find that slow-cooker recipes for pineapple sauce condiments are easy to find. A popular one is spun from onion and garlic together with cinnamon, a handful of currents, and rum and orange juice, or a combination. Adding minced ginger, a splash of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar, and a few whole cloves sweetens the mix.