BBQ Sauce

My go-to bbq sauce

This is the recipe for my go to bbq sauce. I’ve written it up mostly for my own benefit, but it does taste good all the same! It is loosely based on a recipe on the Weber website, though I can’t find the link for that.

I usually use this sauce on slow cooked/smoked pork, but I’m sure it can be used elsewhere!

The quantities given are enough for ~2kg of St Louis cut ribs, with a little left over to serve at the table.

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1 brown onion
• 200ml tomato ketchup (I use Heinz)
• 100ml whisky/rum (I use El Dorado 12 - a bourbon would also work)
• 1/3 cup soft brown sugar
• 80 ml apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder (I use Rajah Extra Hot - add more for a mild powder)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (make sure to use garlic powder and not garlic granules)

Method

1. Chop the onion extremely finely. I recommend against blitzing the sauce, so we don’t want the onion to be too lumpy.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Make sure to use a saucepan which is at least twice the volume of the sauce. As you reduce the sauce, it will bubble and spit - the higher the walls of the saucepan, the less mess. I also recommend against using a nonstick saucepan.
3. Add the onions to the pan and cook over a low heat. The aim here is to slowly soften and caramelise the onions. This is complete when the onions are starting to brown and homogenise. They should be incredibly soft (ie not burnt), but starting to catch the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the garlic powder, then deglaze the pan with the rum/whisky. As soon as the spirit is poured into the pan, stir aggressively to lift all onion stuck to the pan; this is where the flavour is! I generally add the garlic powder first to avoid it clumping up.
5. Add the tomato ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and chilli powder. Stir the sauce together and remain on a low to medium heat.
6. Reduce the sauce to desired consistency. I will usually reduce it until it is slightly thicker than ketchup. Remember that the sauce will appear more runny whn it is warm.