AWESOME HONEY BACON BOURBON BBQ SAUCE

Awesome Honey Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce image

On New Year's Eve I always serve my smoked pork ribs, slathered in my homemade BBQ sauce. This is a kickin' sauce that really delivers a lot of flavor, and can stand up to the rigors of a slow cooker without breaking down. I have clients that will never use any other BBQ sauce, and so I usually make this sauce by the...

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

DRY SPICES
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground yellow mustard
1 Tbsp dried sage
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (totally optional)
1 tsp salt, kosher variety
THE SAUCE
8 oz smoked bacon, rough chopped
1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
4 clove garlic, rough chopped
1 large shot of good bourbon
1/2 c coffee, brewed
1/2 c espresso, brewed
2 Tbsp fresh honey
1 c ketchup, homemade, if possible
1 Tbsp soy or tamari sauce

Steps:

1. Gather your dry ingredients.
2. Gather your sauce ingredients.
3. Rough chop the bacon, onion, & the garlic.
4. Chef's Note: What's a rough chop. A rough chop is when the veggies need to be cut up but they are not a part of the presentation of the dish.
5. Chef's Note: Take a nice big swig of the bourbon... just to make sure it's fresh.
6. Place a skillet over medium heat, and then add the bacon.
7. Cook, stirring regularly, until the bacon begins to brown, but not burn, about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet.
9. Continue to cook and stir, until the onions have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Add all of the dry ingredients.
11. Chef's Note: The cayenne sends this sauce into the hot category. You can cut that down to a small pinch, or leave it out altogether. When I leave it out, I usually add a bit of cumin as a substitute.
12. Stir until they are combined into the bacon/onion mixture.
13. Chef's Note: Take another swig of the bourbon... just to make sure it's still fresh.
14. Deglaze the pan with a generous splash of bourbon (a nice large shot).
15. Immediately take the pan off heat.
16. Add the contents of the pan to a blender or stand mixer.
17. Add the coffee, espresso, ketchup, honey, and soy sauce.
18. Chef's Note: When I talk about using ketchup in this recipe, I would really hope you choose a homemade variety. Otherwise you are making a condiment out of a condiment. Besides, store-bought ketchup has things in it, other than ketchup. Go homemade... if you can. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/versatile-homemade-ketchup.html?r=1
19. Blend until completely smooth.
20. Store in a glass airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to use. Enjoy.
21. Keep the faith, and keep drinking... err cooking.