Barbecue Sauce

There are not many barbecue sauces that I like. Andy’s Barbecue and Famous Dave’s Barbecue are 2 of my favorite sauces. I thought about trying to make my own, but I never got serious about it. Then one day, I was watching Tyler Florence’s show, Tyler’s Ultimate, on Food Network. He was making ultimate barbecue chicken which included homemade barbecue sauce. I watched and thought, “This is too simple.” My curiosity got the best of me; so when I got the opportunity to do some barbecue, I used the opportunity to tryout making some of Tyler’s barbecue sauce. Well, it was very simple to make, and tasted great. My family really enjoyed it. I plan on doing some tweaking to adjust the recipe a little closer to my taste. But now I have 3 of my favorite barbecue sauces in the refrigerator. Here’s the recipe for those out there who would like to try it.

Bon Appétit

•4 slices of smoked bacon
•1 bunch fresh thyme
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•1 onion, chopped
•4 garlic cloves, chopped
•2 ½ cups ketchup
•2 tablespoons molasses
•2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
•1 tablespoon dry mustard
•1 tablespoon ground cumin
•1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
•Freshly ground black pepper

Cut bacon into squares. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Separate thyme leaves from stems and add to saucepan and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.