Shaker Gourmet: BBQ sauce

A couple weeks ago I was in the mood for something we haven't had in a long time--pulled pork sandwiches. Now, the best way to eat those is with bbq sauce. Given that I've never found a bottled one that I liked, I searched out a recipe to make my own. I found one that seemed good and made a few minor modifications. The result? Awesomeness. LOL But, seriously, it is pretty good.

BBQ Sauce
* 2 cups ketchup
* 2 cups tomato sauce
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 3 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

-- Mix it all in a medium sized pan. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For best results, make well ahead of time to let flavors meld. Also, this makes quite a bit (it really is a sauce pan full). Here is the original recipe. It's sweeter than mine--if you enjoy that kind, you may want to go by the original recipe more. This is a good base recipe, overall, for tinkering with to personal taste!

Like I mentioned earlier, I made it to go with pulled pork sandwiches. I don't have a smokehouse (or smoker) but it's still really easy and tastes great: put a pork shoulder roast in crock pot or slow cooker, add 1.5 to 2 cups beef broth, cook on low for 10 hours, shortly before serving drain 99% of liquid, shred roast with forks, mix with the small amount of leftover liquid. Serve! I prefer to put my sauce in condiment bottles and put on that way. You could easily mix sauce into the shredded pork heat it through before serving up. Or cook the roast in some sauce to begin with. Whatever you like! It's an excellent addition to the typical picnic/cookout gatherings.


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