South African Monkey Gland Sauce
Despite the name, no monkeys were harmed. This iconic South African steakhouse sauce handles high heat without burning - perfect on steak, ribs, or anything off the braai.
Serves
8
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Difficulty
Easy
Despite the name, no monkeys were harmed. This iconic South African steakhouse sauce is believed to have been invented by a French chef working in South Africa — which gives it a certain legitimacy in your kitchen. Use it on steak, hamburgers, ribs, or anything coming off the braai. It contains less sugar than most commercial BBQ sauces, meaning it handles high heat without burning.
Traditionally, Mrs Ball's Chutney is used in place of — or alongside — the apricot jam, and if you can get your hands on a bottle, use it. This version is built for those of us living outside South Africa who can't just grab one off the shelf. The apricot jam gets you very close to that same sweet, fruity depth.
Ingredients
- •1 large onion, finely chopped
- •Olive oil for frying
- •¾ cup apricot jam
- •1 cup tomato ketchup
- •¼ cup strong mustard
- •¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- •3 tablespoons soy sauce
- •1 tin chopped tomatoes
- •¾ cup brown grape vinegar, plus a splash more to taste
- •2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- •1-2 teaspoons chilli sauce or 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional but recommended)
- •Salt and black pepper to taste
🐸 Marcel says:
Despite the strange name, Monkey Gland Sauce contains almost no monkeys.
Instructions
- 1
Fry the onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.
- 2
Add the apricot jam, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chopped tomatoes, and ¾ cup of the vinegar. Stir well.
- 3
Bring to a gentle simmer and let the flavours come together for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 4
Add the crushed garlic and chilli if using. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
- 5
Taste and adjust - add the remaining vinegar if it needs more bite, and season with salt and black pepper.
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