So…when I was a kid, nearly every man I knew supposedly had their own barbecue sauce. It was a point of pride for most of the Southern men I grew up around. So as an adult, I’ve endeavored to make my own sauce. The recipe below is what I’ve arrived at for my sauce after years of trial and error. Ironically though…I have since found out that I was lied to as a kid…and most of those guys started with a bought BBQ sauce, and just doctored it. Go figure…
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- 1 cup/240 mL ketchup
- 1 cup/240 mL onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup/180 mL pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup/60 mL lemon juice
- 1/4 cup/60 mL brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup/60 mL water
- 2 tablespoon/30 mL garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon/30 mL Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon/10 mL grated lemon rind
- 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL salt
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, uncovered. Cool. (Seriously…it’s that easy).
NOTES: This makes about 4 cups and is great for pork and chicken, beef needs something a bit stronger I have found. You can put this in a container and put it in your fridge for up to a month. Take the red pepper flakes out or reduce the number of them to cool the heat down in it. I like mine super spicy…