Spicy Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
This sauce couldn’t be any easier to make. It makes a bold statement with a hint of spicy, Southern-style, while a lick of bourbon gives it an edge.
Equipment
- 2 to 3 handfuls hickory chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Two bottles ketchup
- 2/3 cup bourbon
- 2/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup dark molasses
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade hot sauce
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon rendered bacon drippings
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare a barrel smoker. You want the temperature to be between 225°F and 250°F (107°C and 121°C).
- Place the ketchup in a large metal bowl, place the bowl in the smoker, and add a handful of the soaked hickory chips to the coals. Smoke the ketchup for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Be mindful of maintaining a consistent temperature inside the smoker, adding charcoal as needed to keep it in the 225°F to 250°F range (107°C and 121°C). You may need to add more soaked hickory chips to keep the smoke flowing.
- Dump the smoked ketchup into a large pot. Add the bourbon, mustard, molasses, water, hot red pepper sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, bacon drippings, and salt and stir well to combine. Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened slightly.
- Immediately slather the sauce over some ribs or other meat of some sort. Any leftover sauce will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 299mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g