I find that one of the absolute joys of cooking is creating and playing around with different flavours and ingredients to bring a dish together. So to help you achieve success when you’re firing up the barbecue, here are a couple of our favourite homemade barbecue sauces that we use all the time.
Please keep in mind that barbecue sauces are not marinades, they are a finishing sauce only. If applied to the meat at the beginning of (or too early on during) the grilling process, the sugars in these sauces will burn. Barbecue sauces are meant to be a finishing glaze on the meat: Apply during the very last part of the cooking process and close the lid of your barbecue to help them slightly caramelize onto the meat. Also adding a side portioning cup for dipping doesn’t hurt either. Enjoy!
Bourbon BBQ Sauce
“Any whiskey will work, but Jack is the best in this recipe!”
1.5 cups ketchup
1/2 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced very fine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
In a medium pot, combine the ketchup, Jack Daniels, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, and the salt. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside, off the heat, when done.
Grandma G’s BBQ Sauce
My Grandmother’s “secret” recipe
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup HP Steak Sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of cloves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (however, if you want to keep this recipe closer to the original used by my Grandma, use 2 teaspoons melted butter as they didn’t have vegetable oil on the farm)
Mix together and keep refrigerated.
