I do a lot of grilling and barbecuing over the summer and I put a lot of effort into making it come out perfect. So why would I want to ruin all that hard work with a bottled BBQ sauce? Especially when making your own BBQ sauce is so easy.
How easy?
So easy I hardly need any pictures to show you how to do it.
I have created a base recipe that can be used on its own or to create several versions of BBQ sauce, from variations on sweet to extra spicy.
Base BBQ Sauce
4 cups Ketchup
4 cups packed Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce (omit to make sauce Vegan or fish free)
1 Tablespoon dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
Whisk all ingredients together in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
See how easy that was? You don't even need a picture. I have one anyway.
Lovely.
If you are omitting the Worcestershire Sauce then add a 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, hickory flavor. Liquid smoke is just smoke that was trapped in water and concentrated so they could bottle it. You can find liquid smoke right next to the worcestershire sauce, which is found next to the steak sauce, which is found next to the ketchup. If you can't find the ketchup you're on your own.
The base sauce is sweet with no spice and even though lots of vinegar is added at the beginning, 30 minutes of simmering cooks a lot of it out so it's not too acidic. Most recipes call for corn syrup but I prefer the extra depth of flavor the agave nectar brings, plus it's often easier to find now a days.
Now lets talk variations. All variations use the base sauce, things are just added or replaced. If you want to make a few versions out of one batch just mix together the base sauce ingredients then divide it evenly into 2 separate pans.
Spicy BBQ Sauce
1 recipe Base BBQ Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons whole Szechuan Peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons whole Black Peppercorns (preferably Tellicherry)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground Chipotle Peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
Let's talk spices. Normally I try to keep my ingredients stuff that is easy to find in the regular stores, but I'm making an exception here with the szechuan peppercorns because they are what really puts this sauce over the top. You can find them in a spice shop, I get mine from Penzeys Spices. If you can't find them, or don't want to make the effort, the mixed peppercorn blends you can find in most stores can be used in replacement. Substitute the szechuan and black peppercorns for 3 teaspoons of the mixed peppercorns. It's not going to be nearly as awesome though, I'm just saying.
I get the ground chipotle peppers from Target so I don't consider it too hard to find.
Using whole peppercorns is key because once they are ground they are only potent for about a week. Grinding your own spices is easy. You can get a little spice grinder, or re-purpose a coffee grinder for just spices, OR you can do what I do and use a pepper mill.
This one used to be a dual grinder but the top half broke, so i now I just use it as my spice grinder. I put the whole spices in and out comes freshly ground spices. It takes a little more physical effort than the other options but it's small and easy and cheap to get a replacement. Plus I'm only ever grinding a few teaspoons at a time.
Okay, back to the recipe.
Preheat a large pot over low heat. Take your freshly ground spices and the chipotle and cayenne pepper, place in the pot and toast for 30 seconds. If you haven't mixed the base sauce yet then add in the cumin and paprika as well. You know the spices are ready when they give off a strong, warm scent. Toasting the spices helps to release their oils and increases flavor.
Add base sauce ingredients, whisk together. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
Can you feel the heat from all those spices? Trust me, you will.
Sweet Variations-
Honey BBQ Sauce
Replace the agave nectar with 1/2 cup Honey
Rootbeer or other soda flavored BBQ Sauce
Add 1 cup rootbeer or other soda to the base sauce before simmering. Be warned, cola and caffeinated sodas can lend a bitter taste to the sauce. Some people like that, so, whatever. My favorite sodas to add are rootbeer or orange.
The sauce won't actually taste like the soda in question but it does add a nice flavor. Plus when you tell people there is rootbeer in the sauce, their eyes light up and you get a lot of "Ooo"s. Make sure to get a little more soda than you need for the recipe. Inevitably your kids will see the can or bottle and go "Mom! I want soda!". Best to be prepared.
Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Add 1 cup whiskey to the base sauce before simmering. This variation works really well with the spicy variation as well.
Marmalade or other Jam/Jelly Add-Ins
Replace the agave nectar with 1/2 cup of marmalade or other jam/jelly.
This variation is inspired by my Mom who loves to experiment with new jam and jelly flavors, then gives me a jar and says "Here, try this.". And I'm like, what am I supposed to do with Jalapeno Tomato jam? So I started putting it in BBQ sauce. I've come up with some really great ones over the years because of this. My favorite is using her Irish Whiskey Marmalade to make BB sauce to use over pork or chicken. You can get the same flavor by adding 1 cup of whiskey along with the marmalade.
Another favorite is grape jelly. It tastes great over meatballs and makes a fun appetizer for parties. Apple jellies are great for a sauce served with pork.
Other random things I have experimented with over the years
Juice- Apple cider, Orange juice, Pineapple juice all work great, add 1 cup
Fruit- Apple chunks, whole Cranberries (think smoked turkey), Pineapple chunks, add 2 cups
Various spices- If a food I'm cooking has a certain over powering spice, like ginger or cinnamon, I will add a tablespoon of it to the sauce to help bring the flavors together.
The most important part of BBQ sauce is to be creative with it and make it your own. And to make sure there is enough to smother over your latest smoky creation.
~Julia
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