Basic All-American Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Basic All-American Barbecue Sauce Recipe

  • 4 large onions, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing
  • 1 28-ounce can tomato purée
  • 3 28-ounce cans tomatoes with Juice
  • 2½ cups white vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
  • 8 tablespoons brown (Dijonstyle) mustard
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 10 cilantro sprigs
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 8 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons pineapple juice
  • 4 tablespoons dark rum
  • 4 tablespoons Caribbean hot sauce
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Pinch of allspice
  • 1 cup brown (Dijon-style) mustard
  • 8 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large chunk of fresh tomato chopped
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 1 cup combined fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, sage, parsley, oregano, or rosemary
  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté the onion in the oil over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered at the lowest possible heat for 4 hours. (This long cooking removes as much acidity as possible from the tomatoes.)
  3. Purée sauce in 2, 3, or more batches to prevent it from spilling out of your food processor or blender.
  4. Variations
  5. To 1 pint of your Basic All-American Barbecue Sauce, add these other ingredients for different variations of it. These additions should be made after the sauce has cooled to room temperature or has been refrigerated. These sauces all keep 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.
  6. To 1 pint of your Basic All-American Barbecue Sauce, add these other ingredients for different variations of it. These additions should be made after the sauce has cooled to room temperature or has been refrigerated. These sauces all keep 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.