BBQ Sauce

Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5-10 min
Total Cook Time: 90 min

This is my take on a “traditional” BBQ sauce. With so many different regional variations of BBQ, traditional becomes a relative term…BBQ sauce served in Kansas City is a lot different than BBQ sauce served in Memphis or anywhere in North Carolina. For me, an ideal BBQ sauce has these characteristics; it’s not too sweet, it has a bit of heat to it, it has a bit of that certain kick that only vinegar can provide, and it’s not too runny or thick. The ingredients for my take on a traditional BBQ sauce are as follows:

4 strips of bacon – rough chopped
1 large onion – finely minced
3 garlic cloves – finely minced
All of the following measurements are approximate
3/4 can of beer
1 1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp chinese mustard
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp creole seasoning*

* My creole seasoning contains the following:
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp celery salt
3 tbsp paprika

Heat a medium size sauce pan over medium heat for a few minutes until it gets hot, then add the bacon and cook it to render the fat out of it. This should take a few minutes (about 5-7 min or so), be sure to stir frequently so as the bacon doesn’t burn. Turn the heat down a bit if it is cooking too fast. Once the fat has rendered out of the bacon, remove it from the sauce pan with a slotted spoon (you want to keep the grease in the pan) and set the bacon aside for later.

Add the onions to the bacon grease and cook for about 10 min so that they get really soft and cook down quite a bit. Next, add all of the remaining indregients (including the reserved bacon, which I like to chop up finely, if you like), mix well, and cook for 60-75 min or so until the sauce thickens and reduces a bit. Stir it from time to time so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. About halfway through the cooking, I added all of the pan juices that came out of the pulled pork, but that is totally optional.

One other thing to note. Because of all the onions, bacon, garlic, and whatever bits and pieces come from the pan drippings, the sauce that is produced does not have a totally smooth consistency. I have no issue with this, but if you do, feel free to either put the sauce in a blender or strain it.