Barbecue Sauce - Everyday Annie

Alright people, this sauce was a revelation for me for two reasons. One – I formerly believed that I hated barbeque sauce. Occasionally I eat BBQ chicken at my dad’s house because he makes it a lot, but if it were up to me I would probably never choose to eat it. Turns out, it’s delicious! Two – I never knew that making your own barbeque sauce was so darn simple! The only reason that I even attempted this recipe was as a gift for my dad. I wasn’t planning to keep any of it, but I did feel obligated to try it if I was going to blog about it or give it as a gift. Well, let’s just say none of this batch ever made it to Dad’s (though our babysitter did receive one jar).

The method is very simple – sauté some onions and garlic, mix in the spices, sugar, molasses and tomatoes and let simmer to reduce and thicken for a couple of hours at least. A bit of water is added to the final product and it is blended to achieve a smooth consistency. This could not be easier! Another great thing about this is how easy it is to adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes. I added a few tablespoons of honey to mine and thought it was an excellent addition. Like things spicier? Add some cayenne pepper and paprika. Make it your own!

I only made a half batch (about two and a half jars) since I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this, but I have written the full recipe below because I will definitely make full batches from now on. I did not use proper canning procedures this time around, so I consider it good in the fridge for about two weeks. There are, however, lots of good online resources for properly canning foods and sauces, and I may try that next time around so that I can keep lots of this stuff on hand. I may also just try freezing it since I now realize just how convenient it can be to have some tasty barbeque sauce around the house. I got home from work one night later than expected, but grilling up a few chicken breasts dressed with the sauce and garden veggies on the side made dinner a breeze. We even used extra sauce on the side for dipping because we enjoyed it so much.

Yield about 3-4 cups

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 cups yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. ground cumin
2-3 tbsp. honey
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (fire-roasted, if available)
¾ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tsp. black pepper
½-2 cups water

Directions

01
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Mix in 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, the chili powder, coriander and cumin. Stir in the honey, molasses and dark brown sugar. Mix well and boil for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cider vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer on medium-low heat for 2-3 hours until the sauce has thickened and darkened.
02
Stir in the white vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste (up to about 1 tablespoon of each). Add the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add in about ½ cup water to start and process the mixture until smooth. Blend in more water if desired until the sauce has reached your desired thickness/consistency.
03
Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Source

adapted from Delish