Getting Ready For the 4th

Lots of us will be doing lots of cooking this coming weekend. I like to make most things from scratch but there are some things I just will not consider buying. One of them is barbecue sauce. Store bought barbecue sauce is nasty. Read the ingredients if you don't believe me. Almost all of them start with tomato by products and high fructose corn syrup. They have very chemical after tastes not to mention how expensive they are. Why not try making your own? It is quick, cheap and easy.


I start by sauteing one diced onion in about 1/4 cup of olive oil.


While the onion cooks, measure out 3 T. chili powder, 1 T. cracked black pepper, 2 tsp. salt and 2 T. granulated garlic.


In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of tomato sauce or organic ketchup or regular cheap store bought ketchup but then you get back into the high fructose corn syrup. Whatever, it is still leaps and bounds better than the alternative. Add 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup steak sauce, 1/4 cup molasses, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp. hot sauce and 1 cup of dark brown sugar. I also add about 1 tsp.of liquid smoke. Whisk this all together.




After the onion has cooked for a few minutes, stir in the dry spices.


Stir the onions and spices and cook for a few minutes until the spices give off their scents.


Then pour the liquid mix into the onions.


Stir well and cook over medium high heat.


Keep stirring. It will smell fabulous and start to bubble round the edges.


Once it is bubbling all over the surface you will see it is thickening. Cook and stir a few more minutes and then remove and pour into a jar. Refrigerate it until you are ready to use it. This is so good that anything you use it on will taste great. You don't have to just use it on ribs. You can use it as a condiment to replace ketchup. Use it as a dip for wings or chicken fingers. Once you taste it you will want to find any way you can to get it into your mouth! Try it....you'll like it!!!


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