After a lengthy time stalled on the BBQ front, I'm now back on the trail of a signature BBQ sauce, thanks to Steve Reichlin's BBQ book and his advice to go with Ketchup: it's OK.
This sauce came out extremely well, with a solid flavorful foundation and excellent kick that was enough to please but not too much for the DW and 4-year old son. The key was some different varieties of pepper that brought a great flavor profile and different heat attack, I think:
- 1 Medium Sized Onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/3 cup Molasses
- 1/3 cup French's Mustard
- 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 3/4 tsp Urfa Pepper
- 3/4 tsp African Bird Pepper
- 1 tsp Tamarind Powder
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract
Saute Onion in 2 Tbsp Butter slowly, until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute. Add all other ingredients except Vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer over low heat and hold for 1 hour, as flavors combine. Add vanilla extract, still, and take off heat. Keep warm for glaze, or refrigerate for later use.
The resulting sauce has a classic BBQ base, and the exotic peppers bring an upfront heat that tingles on the lips and tongue, but doesn't catch in the throat.
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