We can taste it right now: smoky, rich, slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and a hint of hot spice. That's our ideal barbecue sauce, and this time of year, we want it on just about everything. We've discovered that making it ourselves isn't very hard, and preparing a big batch is the perfect project for a weekend afternoon! Do you make your own BBQ sauce?
Weekend Project: Make Your Own BBQ Sauce!
Though we probably shouldn't have been all that surprised, we were still shocked to discover that one of the main ingredients in our favorite go-to brand of barbecue sauce was none other than corn syrup. Starting right then, we've been making it ourselves. And now that we're in the habit, we like having control over the ingredients and flavors that go into each batch. It's fun to tweak the recipe and change it up every now and again!
Making barbecue sauce is as simple as combining ingredients in a pan and then letting the sauce slowly simmer. The longer you can let it simmer, the more the flavors of all the ingredients will combine and melt into each other. The end result is a thick, deeply-flavored sauce that can be used as a marinade, a condiment, or a dipping sauce.
Homemade barbecue sauce will be fine in your refrigerator for several weeks. We usually make a double or triple batch and freeze what we won't use in that time. If you're feeling industrious, you can also can your barbecue sauce to keep it preserved for months. Jars of homemade BBQ sauce make a very-welcome holiday gift, too!
We found our favorite barbecue sauce in a recipe for pulled pork:
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Chipotle BBQ Sauce from Andrea's Recipes
The sauce is smoky and tangy with a nice kick- exactly what we said we liked in a barbecue sauce! (Also, try the pulled pork if you make this recipe. It's divine.)
Here are a few other recipes for barbecue sauce to use as inspiration:
• Sweet and Tangy Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Coca-Cola Barbecue Sauce
What is your ideal barbecue sauce?
Related: How to Cook (and Shred) a Pork
(Image: Elizabeth Passarella for the Kitchn)
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Projects, Tips & Techniques, Recipe Roundup, Grilling, weekend project, weekend cooking, barbecue, bbq, barbecue sauce, bbq sauceShare
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I've used this one for years
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Barbecue-Sauce-103642
It's about the only way to get rid of whiskey or bourbon in our house but worth buying a bottle for, too!
view splatgirl's profile
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-or-steak-with-balsamic-bbq-sauce-recipe/index.html
I tried this one with steak and had to hold back from licking it out of the pan
view mcheerio's profile
Well, I don't make it, but that's just because my brother makes a batch a few times a year and always gives me some. He makes the St. Louis Sauce from Steve Raichlen's BBQ USA book. In there, Steven says that he modeled it on Maull's bbq sauce, which can be found in St. Louis and some other places here in the Midwest. It's goooood.
view Peggasus's profile
Hurray for this post!
The "meat fairy" came by my house the other day and dropped off a 3.5 lb pork tenderloin, and I've been lamenting about what to do with all that pork since! Nice timing!!
view Slippintrippn84's profile
i made this bbq sauce a few months ago and now it is the only one i make. there is always a container of this sauce in the fridge for when a bbq craving hits.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/dallas-burger-recipe/index.html
view jhuester's profile
Yeah, I make my mom's BBQ sauce recipe - it's of my subjective opinion that it's the best, but everyone thinks that about their mom's cooking. :)
view Kathryn Hill's profile
Anyone have a green apple barbecue sauce recipe? I had a dreamy burger at Victoria, B.C.'s Blue Fox Cafe. As if the chipotle aioli, cheddar and jack weren't enough, the green apple bbq sauce was outrageous.
Anyone?
view nosyparker's profile
Lisa, of Homesick Texan fame, has a delicious Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce recipe. I tried it out for my July 4th cookout & it was a hit. I'll definitely be making it again! Here's the recipe: http://www.clovesandcream.com/2009/07/fourth-of-july-feast-rubbed-bbq-ribs.html
view cloves and cream's profile
I am delighted that you like my chipotle bbq sauce! That pulled pork is one of our family's favorite meals. Thanks for the mention.
view AndreaMeyers's profile
I use a rub, and not much very much of it.
view SunnyBlue's profile