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Basic Barbecue Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "The Tailgater's Cookbook" by David Joachim


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe makes a sauce that's similar to - but sooo much tastier than - popular bottled barbecue sauces. It takes just a few minutes to stir everything together, then you let it simmer on low heat a bit. I like to make a double batch of this recipe ahead of time since it's used so often, like in Barbecue Beans, Chipotle Bourbon Ribs, Barbecued Chicken, and Beer-Mopped Brisket with Texas Barbecue Sauce. It's so easy to put together, you could just make the sauce at the tailgate. And as long as you're making your own sauce, it's worth it to add the extras listed below. These flavors will make a sauce worthy of any food that comes off your grill. But if you need to take a cheap shortcut, buy your favorite bottled barbecue sauce and stir in the extras listed in the variations over low heat."

List of Ingredients

◦  2 cups ketchup
◦  3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
◦  3 Tbsp cider vinegar
◦  2 Tbsp yellow mustard
◦  2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
◦  2 tsp paprika
◦  1½ tsp salt
◦  1 tsp garlic powder
◦  ½ tsp onion powder
◦  ½ tsp ground black pepper


Recipe

Before you Go:
Put everything in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Cover and bring to the tailgate or chill in airtight container in refrigerator or cooler up to 1 month.

◦  When You Get There:
Reheat sauce over low heat. Keep warm for brushing onto barbecued meats (cold sauce brushed onto hot meat lowers the meat temperature slightly and slows down the cooking).

◦  Neighborly Tips:

To vary the flavor, follow one or a combination of these variations:

∙ Rich Barbecue Sauce: Add ¼ cup butter.

∙ Sweet Barbecue Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons molasses and 1 tablespoon honey.

∙ Smoky Barbecue Sauce: Add 2 teaspoons liquid smoke.

∙ Rich, Sweet, and Smoky Chipotle Bourbon Barbecue Sauce: Add ¼ cup butter, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder, and ½ cup good-quality bourbon. (Look for chipotle powder in the spice aisle of your grocery store.)

∙ Rich and Smoky Texas Barbecue Sauce: Up the cider vinegar to ½ cup and add ¼ cup butter, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon pure chile powder (such as ancho), and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste).


Makes about 3 cups