Slow Simmered Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
2 T oil
2 lg garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 C ketchup
3/8 C distilled white vinegar
1/8 C light brown sugar
1 T mild molasses
1/2 T chili powder
1/2 T paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
14 oz can whole tomatoes
Instructions:
1. Heat 2 T of oil and add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until tender.
2. Putting the canned tomatoes aside, whisk the remaining ingredients together and pour into the saucepan. Add the tomatoes with the juice in the can. Optionally, you can add 1/8 C orange juice (or my favorite, pineapple juice) at this point. Stir over high heat until ingredients are integrated and begin to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer uncovered. Simmer for two or more hours (stirring occassionally) until the sauce thickens to the desired level.
4. Although, the onions and tomatoes have probably disintegrated into the sauce, let the sauce cool a bit and pour into a bar blender for a quick puree.
5. This final barbecue sauce is rich and flavorful. I find that it starts out with a sharp tangy flavor from the tomatoes followed by sweet molasses and punctuated with chili pepper spices at the end. Adding liquid smoke and other flavorings (or removing the spices) will tailor the sauce to your taste.