Jose Mae’s Hoppin’ Good Steak Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/4
  
  cups Currant flavored vodka, or plain vodka
  
• 3
  
  teaspoons whole allspice
  
• 12
  
  whole cloves
  
• 1
  
  cinnamon stick
  
• 2
  
  dried shiitakes, about 1 1/2 inches round
  
• 1
  
  dried guajillo chile, stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
  
• 1/4
  
  cup Hengstenberg 13 Krauter Essig Vinegar
  
• 1/4
  
  cup red wine vinegar
  
• 1/2
  
  cup organic soy sauce
  
• 1/2
  
  cup garlic slices
  
• 1/2
  
  cup red wine
  
• 1/3
  
  cup brown sugar
  
• 1/2
  
  cup strained tomatoes
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon tamarind concentrate
  

Directions

1. Place two small mixing bowls onto a counter top. In one bowl place the vodka, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, shiitakes and guajillo chile. In the second bowl combine the red wine vinegar, Hengstenberg vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and let them sit over night.
2. The next day remove the shiitakes from the bowl and squeeze the the juice from them back into the bowl.
3. Place a small sauce pan over medium high heat and add the red wine and brown sugar. Boil until you have a syrup. Remove from the heat, please do this you are getting ready to pour straight vodka into a hot pan and I want you to keep your eyebrows. Then add the ingredients from both bowls, the strained tomatoes and tamarind concentrate. Place the sauce pan back on the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer and reduce until it is thick and it will coat the back of a spoon. Don’t be tempted to hurry the reduction process. If this sauce boils to hard it will scorch. Strain the sauce. You should have 3/4 to 1 cup of sauce, it should be the viscosity of syrup. Place into a bottle, cool and serve. Can be kept a couple of months in the fridge.