Anyone make their own BBQ sauce?

[MountainLaurel]

Looking over the options at the grocery store today, I found one brand that did not have high fructose corn syrup out of about 20. In some, it was the first ingredient. I decided that I could probably do better myself. Does anyone have a kick-ass recipe you'd like to share?

[Warpy]

1. I use several Chinese sauces

which are not the tomato, vinegar and liquid smoke concoctions one expects in the usual bar-b-q joints. I actually loathe the vinegar sauces and they don't feel very good in my tummy.

If you're interested in an alternative, let me know.

[pinto]

2. I hear you. Store bought is basically corn syrup based. ( Go figure)

I make a few types at home, really simple standard cupboard ingredients.

Ketchup, mustard, honey and hot sauce. (beef)

Apple sauce, ginger, cinnamon and clove. (pork)

Honey, orange juice, mint and black pepper. (chicken)

[sandnsea]

3. I do sometimes

You can start with a couple pounds of tomatoes, completely from scratch. Or ketchup or chili sauce. I like a molasses based sauce, 2-3 Tablespoons per 2 cups tomato sauce, or so. Then whatever you like, apple cider vinegar, worsteschire, hickory smoke, onion, garlic, chili powder, peppers, dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, brown sugar, beer, bourbon, wine, etc. I've been trying to get a good stevia sauce, no luck yet. Sauces are fun and you can't screw them up.

[Tab]

4. There's a million things

Corn syrup is used as a sweetner/thickner, but it's not a requirement.

Molasses, ketchup even, and whatever spices, along with a dollop of vinegar will often get you a useful starting point. THen take it from there - I personally love appleword BBQ sauce, but you could take a tomato base like ketchup, add a thickener like tomato paste, some vinegar, some molasses, and everything from ground coffee to cinnamon to smokey chipotle peppers can give you special flavor. There's a zillion sauces - they're easy to make, just decide what you wnat in them.

Enjoy!

[Dover]

5. I used to have a great recipe that involved using beer/ale.

But I haven't seen it in years or had use for it (just don't do the bbq thing anymore I guess).
Anyhoo....the beer made all the difference.

These beer bbq recipes are from an online site. Haven't tried them out but might be a place to start if that sounds good to you:

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/2017/0.shtml

[mike_c]

6. here's my recipe....

This is north Georgia style, vinegar based sauce for pulled pork. Since you used the term "barbecue" in your OP this must be what you want-- it is the One True sauce for the only dish that qualifies as barbecue. Accept no substitute!

The sauce is based on a recipe that appeared in Fine Cooking some years ago. It actually varies some every time I make it, but this is the basic idea. Proportions are approximate.

Barbecue sauce

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
2 heads garlic, broken into cloves but not peeled
2 tbsp whole black pepper corns
3 tbsp whole coriander seeds
2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
2-4 dried Anaheim or New Mexico red chilis, seeded and stemed
2-4 dried ancho chilis, seeded and stemmed
(add a chipotle or two if you like your sauce spicier than these chilis make it)
2 bay leaves
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 16 oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes and juice (add another can if you like more tomato)
1 quart distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt

Heat the honey, molasses, garlic, red chilis, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin, and coriander in a stockpot over medium heat for 30 min or so, stirring occasionally. It will get very fragrant. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, and their juice. Cook another 30 min, stirring often to break up the tomatoes. Stir in the vinegar, water, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours.

After the sauce cools, discard the bay leaf and any large pieces of garlic peel. Puree the sauce in batches in a blender. recombining to blend the spices evenly. The sauce will be thin, with some bits of spice here and there.

I freeze this sauce in quart mason jars.

[kestrel91316]

11. I am wondering if this might be like the really yummy BBQ sauce in jars

that I found in a Piggly Wiggly in Charleston, NC years ago.........

Can I just crockpot it and forget about it? I might wanna do pulled pork sandwiches this weekend but it's gonna be nice and cool so i want to go hiking.......

If I make it beforehand can I crockpot the pork roast IN the BBQ sauce (cook it most the way first, and then a couple hours in the sauce)??

[mike_c]

13. you mean as a cooking sauce...?

I dunno-- I have added it to braised meats done pot-roast style, but usually as a component of the sauce rather than cooking meats covered in this stuff. On the other hand, if you crock-pot the meat until it's pulling apart tender and THEN add the sauce to taste to the shredded meat at the end-- well, I think that's the way I'd do it.

[MountainLaurel]

7. Thanks for the tips everyone!

I'm going to start looking into these other options for the next time we grill.

[NMDemDist2]

8. I never had a bottled sauce until well into my 20s

tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, liquid smoke (just a couple drops) honey or molasses (or even sugar - brown preferred or white in a pinch), tons of fresh ground pepper and what ever spices caught your fancy that day

experiment :bounce:

[Hotler]

9. Try these...

back in Jan. 26 I ask about Gates & sons BBQ sauce from K.C.. Two good yet different recipes were suggested. I'm a dunbshit when it comes to posting links in a reply. The thread is back on about page six as of today. I made half batches and added the ground red pepper a little at a time. I BBQed pork tender loins this past sunday. I love bbq.

[pipoman]

12. Heres that link

I knew I posted my recipe here someplace.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x39692

[hippywife]

10. When I was a kid

and just started experimenting in the kitchen, I was making sloppy joe sauce with ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. I hate to say this but I still like it! LOL These days though, I add things to spice it up a bit such as trading out the yellow mustard for dijon, adding celery seed, garlic, salt, pepper, Frank's Red Hot, oh...just whatever sounds good that day. I call it my "Everything but the kitchen sink" sauce most of the time. :hi: