The BMK BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce...smoky, sweet, spicy and downright delicious! There's a few condiments in life I cannot live without - BBQ sauce and pickle relish being my top two. Unfortunately, when you look at the ingredient list on a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, ketchup or marinade, a boat load of sugar is usually the key ingredient. It's as if they make simple syrup and then figure, eh, what the heck, toss a few tomatoes in. Never mind all the ingredients with confusing chemical sounding names! 

I'm going to start preparing and bottling our favorite condiments to have on hand in lieu of funky store-bought varieties. The goal was to have this bottle (above) for some time, but...um...we dusted that thing in a few days. What's in my crazy concoction? The secret ingredients are high quality canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes and whiskey. Sure, there's other ingredients, but the whiskey really makes it special. And not in that "drank too much whiskey and are stumbling around" kind of special. 

Make a bottle, make a vat, whatever suits you! Keep an eye out for a super-freaking-amazing BBQ Pulled Seitan Sandwich coming tomorrow! Want to know where to get a handy glass bottle for your awesome-sauce? We save most good glass bottles and jars we buy, sanitize them in hot water and store for later (like now)!

Makes 1 bottle

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 1.5 c water
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1/4c apple cider vinegar
• 1/4c lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4c whiskey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil over medium-high in saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and saute another minute. Add remaining ingredients, whisk thoroughly, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes.
2. Use immersion blender to blend thoroughly.
3. Allow to cool and bottle.