Barbecue Sauce

There are plenty of great barbecue sauces in the market, but sometimes you want to go the extra with homemade, or you get halfway through cooking and realize you don't have any in the cupboard. The most basic recipe i know is...

Equal parts Honey, Ketchup and Soy Sauce(low salt) whisked together.

I recommend starting with about 2 tablespoons of each. Now you can get a taste and make it you own. Want it sweeter, more honey, or try a little brown sugar or even maple syrup. Too much sugar will burn on the grill or even under the broiler .More tomato? More ketchup! Needs spice, black pepper is a great place to start. Maybe a dash of cayenne or a some finely minced chipotle pepper with the sauce from the can. Some sauteed onion or fresh garlic is a great add or garlic powder as well. If you want to season without heat, try a dash of allspice, very potent though, go easy at first. If your a big fan of heat, add some hot horseradish. A couple of dashes of your favorite mustard is always a good addition.

From the basic recipe above, over the years my barbecue sauce has come together. If you are like me and really can't be bothered measuring stuff, eyeballing works fine, but you'll need...

1 medium onion chopped fine. I like Vidalias best
1 tbsp pickled ginger, chopped fine
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp of "Dad's Rub" which is...
-2 parts chili powder,1 part each black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, dry mustard all mixed
-together in a leftover spice shaker.
a dash of allspice

Start by sauteing onion and olive oil over a medium low heat in a small sauce pan. I take mine all the way to caramelized. Add the ginger, pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce and brig to a slow simmer. Add the allspice and Dad's Rub. Let reduce by about half to concentrate. Add the honey next so it will dissolve easily into the liquid. Add the ketchup and let simmer for a couple of minutes to bring flavors together.

Enjoy