If you are looking for a barbecue sauce that is tart and sweet and a bit out of the ordinary, look no further than this version made with cranberries. Although grilling season and cranberry season don’t coincide on the calendar, in New England you can find frozen berries almost any time of year, and they are perfectly acceptable.

Unlike some long-simmering homemade barbecue sauces, this one takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, with stellar results. Note that it is not a marinade — the beef is tossed with a small amount of sauce before skewering, and the rest is applied at the very end. All that sweetness would burn off on the grill.

You would be hard pressed to find a better alternative than sirloin tip steak if you are looking for a cut of meat that will deliver lots of flavor and still be relatively tender. Tenderloin, an expensive cut, will probably disappoint because it is so easy to overcook and becomes dry. Though cheaper and more flavorful, chuck will be just too chewy. So look for sirloin tip, also known as flap steak outside of New England (cut from the bottom sirloin butt), and save a bit of sauce for dipping.

Sally Pasley Vargas

Grilled beef kebabs with cranberry barbecue sauce

Serves 4

BARBECUE SAUCE

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

½ medium red onion, chopped

½ cup orange juice

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

¼ cup sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 (2-inch) jalapeno pepper, stemmed and sliced

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cranberries, onion, orange juice, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno pepper, paprika, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries soften. Cool to room temperature.

2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the sauce until it forms a coarse puree. If you would like a smooth sauce, puree a little longer.

KEBABS

2 pounds sirloin tip steak, cut into 1½-inch cubes

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 large red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces

Cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Lime wedges (for garnish)

1. Have on hand 12 metal skewers, or 12 bamboo skewers soaked in warm water for 20 minutes.

2. About 20 minutes before grilling, heat a gas grill to medium high, or light a charcoal grill. When the top coals are partially covered with ash, spread them evenly over the coal grate, and set the cooking grate on top. Heat the cooking grate for 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl, toss the steak cubes with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of the barbecue sauce and toss to coat.

4. On each skewer, thread 3 to 4 cubes of beef, alternating with the onion pieces.

5. Grill skewers for 2 to 3 minutes on a side, or until they are well seared and the center of the beef registers between 125 and 130 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Brush with more barbecue sauce at the end of grilling.

6. Transfer to a platter and brush generously with the barbecue sauce. Let rest for 5 minutes, and serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and extra sauce. Sally Pasley Vargas

Sally Pasley Vargas can be reached at sally.p.vargas@gmail.com.