Home Made Barbecue Sauce (thought experiment)

[sraun]

Using this recipe from lonotter as an inspiration, I was thinking about making my own. I like sweetish tomato (as opposed to mustard) barbecue sauces.

• 2 bottles hard apple cider (maybe three)


• 1/2 cup cider vinegar


• 1/4-1/2 cup molasses


• 1 (small) can tomato paste


• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (I might go two)


• 1 T chili powder


• Garlic (quite a bit)


• 1-2 T cumin


• Salt (a little)


• Pepper (at least 1 t)

Simmer for an hour or so.

What would you do to this thought-experiment recipe? I'm wondering what other herbs or spices would go well. I did a quick survey on RecipeSource, a lot of the recipes they have include Worcestershire Sauce, that's a definite possibility.

Comments

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

If I didn't keep kosher? Pork ribs. Since I do? Turkey.

[sraun]

Actually, I'm likely to do it for pulled pork - we can get pork shoulders at CostCo for cheap! Cook half of one up in the crockpot on all day Thursday with some of this, chill overnight, shred on Friday, toss back into the crockpot with more on Saturday, serve to a party.

I might do a turkey breast with it. The only poultry with bones we ever do is Thanksgiving Turkey. I might also do beef ribs - the four-foots would adore it if I did beef ribs! Then they can have the bones!

[khavrinen.livejournal.com]

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, I'd suggest the spices that make up what they call "pumpkin pie spice" -- cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger -- especially since you're starting with apple cider & vinegar. One of my favorite recipes uses them in a tomato sauce base, and it comes out surprisingly well. You probably don't want to go much more than a half teaspoon of the first three, or it will start to taste like apple pie, but you could go 2-4 times that much with the ginger, for a little extra kick.

[lonotter.livejournal.com]

A little curry powder might give it some interesting depth. It would go with the apple-pie spice suggestion, too. I like Penzey's sweet (sweet as in not-hot, not sugar-sweet) or Vindaloo (hot) curry powders. Their Turkish seasoning is also good, lots of nice spices, but not particularly hot.

[mbcrui.livejournal.com]

I know you're looking for sweet not hot, but you might want to try a little dash of hot sauce anyway.

Also, I think you're going to want some brown sugar-- maybe 1/2 C as well as the molasses.