The Saucy Side of Life

Barbecue Sauce

A good barbecue sauce should be a little tangy, sweet, and spicy with hints of savory overtones.  With that being said, most barbecue sauces lean heavily towards one of the four.  If you are cooking for a large crowd, it is usually a good idea to make at least two sauces each favoring one of the four flavors.

Sauces can be made;

·         Tangy by adding or increasing mustard, vinegar, or lemon juice.

·         Sweet by increasing a sweetener.  I suggest honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or molasses.

·         Spicy with any number of hot peppers or sauces, but I prefer cayenne.

·         Savory by adding garlic, onion, cumin and cardamom.  I particularly like cardamom, but go lite.

 My basic recipe for barbecue sauce:

·         2 cup Ketchup

·         ½ cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I usually use balsamic)

·         2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

·         2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tablespoon of honey

·         1 tablespoon garlic power

·         1 tablespoon onion power

·         ½ tablespoon ground cumin

·         ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

·         Cayenne pepper to taste (I use a lot J)

·         1 bay leave

·         Pinch of Basil

·         Pinch of Parsley

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         Wine, beer, broth, juice (optional)

I basically start with this recipe and vary it depending on the taste I am trying to capture.