Guava Barbeque Sauce

1 cup cold water

1 cup guava paste

⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup dark rum

¼ cup tomato paste

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ scotch bonnet chile pepper (or to taste), minced

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place the water, guava paste, vinegar, rum, tomato paste, lemon juice, onion, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking until evenly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened and is richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce should be pourable. If it has become too thick, thin it with some water. Serve hot or cold.