homemade barbecue sauce

Monday, August 7, 2006

If you have never made your own barbecue sauce before, I’m going to have to insist that you try to at least once. And while I’m loath to ensnare myself in the myriad layers of barbecue conviction across this land — from the don’t-come-near-my-sauce-with-those-tomatoes whole-hoggin’ in Carolina to the don’t-you-dare-come-near-my-mesquite with sauce in Texas (and then the small matter of me being from New Jersey where barbecue just meant cooking your hamburgers and hot dogs outdoors) — I might have to insist that you try this one because it’s sacrilegiously good.

My crush on Ina Garten is almost as strong as my Martha-crush, if not stronger as she’s never once failed me and I believe we share an absorption with making typically unremarkable foods remarkable again. Her lemon cake has got to be one of the top five cakes ever made with her orange chocolate chunk version squarely in the top ten; her coleslaw made me like coleslaw and her barbecue sauce is a spectacular Eastern/Asian/Southern mutt.

I’ll admit it’s a bit of an ingredient dump. I hate overly relying on things from jars and bottles when cooking, so this recipe taking but two of thirteen ingredients from the produce aisle caused me pause — the first time. After I’d tried it, however, with flavors so loud you can almost hear them, I’ve happily brought home groceries bags full of clink and liquid weight to make it again and again.

Since we’re barbecue-agnostic in these parts, we felt free to couple our sauce-laden chicken with asparagus and a radicchio/napa slaw for dinner and I encourage you to also innovate as you please. I suspect Whole Foods boneless, skinless chicken thighs broiled in the oven weren’t getting us invited to any Memphis pig-pickins, anyhow.

Ina Garten’s Barbecue Sauce
Adapted from her Food Network show

This is a tangy, subtly spicy, delicious mutt of a barbecue sauce. On her show, Ina Garten explained that she had at one point tried to develop different sauces to complement different cuisines — from Asian to various South Eastern regions — but only when she mixed them all together in frustration did she find exactly her barbecue sauce nirvana. I couldn’t agree more. I make this all summer, freeze leftovers in one-cup servings, and sob when we run out.

Makes 6 cups

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste (10 ounces)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the fridge.

Do ahead: This sauce freezes excellently, for months at at time.

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Do more: Link | Bookmark | Print | Email | 23 Comments

rachel August 8, 2006
1

Looks really great!
Kelli August 9, 2006
2

Deb! This site is nothing short of amazing! The photos are fantastic and the food all looks so incredibly good. Bravo!!
Abby August 13, 2006
3

Just found this site! I had no idea you HAD a foodie blog. Love it!
Gigi August 31, 2006
4

I wanted to try this when I saw this episode, and now I will for sure! Thanks, it looks fantastic.

Ina has never failed me, either. The first whole turkey I ever made was her “Perfect Roast Turkey,” and it was so perfect I’ll never make another. She posts the recipe only around Thanksgiving on the FoodTV.com site.

Lovely photos as usual!
maggie May 29, 2007
5

Yum. I made this over the weekend, slathered it over some pork ribs the next day, and slow cooked them in the oven. Divine! Thanks.
Sandy May 29, 2007
6

I watched Ina’s episode this weekend when she made this BBQ sauce and I was pretty intrigued. But it looks like it makes so much sauce, more than my husband and I would be able to eat in even 2 or 3 dinners. How long would you expect this to last in the fridge? A month maybe? I have no concept of how time evolves for different foods.
deb May 29, 2007
7

Hi Sandy — It makes 6 cups, I believe, which is indeed quite a lot. What we do is freeze the leftovers in one cup containers. We took stuff out from a year (year!) ago that was perfectly fine. It can even be defrosted in the microwave if you’re in a rush. In the fridge, I try not to keep it for much more than a month, unless poured while hot into jars which vacuum-seal upon closing.
MiM July 9, 2007
8

it looks yummmmy :)

but please , after I make the BBQ sauce , how I would prepear the chicken ??

would u please tell me in details ..

thank u
DonnaC June 7, 2008
9

Terrific! I hate the jar sauces – this will be a staple in my fridge. Thanks!
Christina M June 20, 2008
10

Just made this. I halved the recipe, and it still made quite a lot. And, very un-true to form, I even stuck closely to the recipe.

My only tweaks were:
1) pureeing the onion-garlic mixture in the blender a bit before returning to the pot and adding the other ingredients. i didn’t dig the chunky onion idea.

2) adding a splash of liquid smoke, and a dash of chipotle pepper sauce
jlm July 8, 2008
11

I’m not a fan of “chunky onions” either. If I decide to puree them, does that change the timing requirement on the first step–where I put them in the saucepan for 10-15 minutes?

Thanks for anyone that can provide insight.
deb July 8, 2008
12

You can chop the onions very finely and by the time they cook, you won’t notice the texture. Otherwise, pureeing them would work as well.
jlm July 8, 2008
13

thanks!
dave August 31, 2008
14

I’ve tried grating the onion for BBQ sauces and have had good results. Also, you could strain the sauce at the end.
stepha January 27, 2009
15

i made this this past weekend (AWESOME) and put 3/4 c servings in plastic bags to freeze, only they are not freezing rock solid. is that what happened to you? does this mean that i should probably use it within the month? thanks for any advice!
deb January 27, 2009
16

Hi Stepha — We’ve frozen it before many times, but it has always gotten solid. We may have hyperactive freezers, or yours may be running a bit warm. If the latter, it’s probably not good to have it in there more than a month. If you’re sure your freezer is a good temperature, this stuff lasts in the freezer for… well, let me just say that once, we found a container a year later, defrosted it, and it was good as new. So it will keep for a long time.
David April 26, 2009
17

Tried it today on pork ribs.
This is going to be a standard. Thanks
Kay June 22, 2009
18

what do you suppose would happen if i were to omit the worcestershire sauce to make it vegetarian? i know, i know, what’s a vegetarian going to put barbecue sauce on? why, fake chicken, of course!
deb June 22, 2009
19

I had NO IDEA that worcestershire sauce wasn’t vegetarian, fancy that! I’d say just use soy sauce, or a mix of soy sauce and tamarind paste and/or maybe even some sugar, molasses and vinegar (I saw this suggested here). There are also a lot of vegetarian brands of worcestershire.
Kay June 23, 2009
20

thanks for the tips. i learned something new too — definitely did not know that worcestershire sauce may have its roots in india! being indian, i keep tamarind paste on hand in my kitchen, so i should be able to sub out the worcestershire with that + soy sauce. thanks deb!
the go to girl June 24, 2009
21

so crazy weird, i just watched the episode today on food network featuring her insane sauce. i had seen the episode last summer or the one before? anyhow, haven’t ever tried making it. can’t wait to try yours!! thx
Josey January 5, 2010
22

Though I do like Ina’s BBQ sauce, I prefer Tyler’s. He also has a great slaw recipe if you’re interested, Deb (as I know you love you some slaw).
deb January 5, 2010
23

Thanks Josey. I might just try both! Something about 25 degree weather gets me especially missing barbecue…