Summertime Barbecue Sauce
When my daughter was seven, she would come home from school and eat this sauce by the spoonfuls. Company loves it, too, on pork chops or ribs. Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe!
When my daughter was seven, she would come home from school and eat this sauce by the spoonfuls. Company loves it, too, on pork chops or ribs. Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe!
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons steak sauce
- 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups finely chopped onion
- 3 cups ketchup
- 1-1/3 cups lemon juice
- 1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke optional
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce optional
- Carbohydrate 5.91258838160139 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.83227115379533 g
- Fiber 0.365541744429232 g
- Protein 0.582423276403333 g
- Saturated Fat 0.362499331650781 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (61g)
- Sodium 1127.12304570471 mg
- Sugar 5.54704663717216 g
- Trans Fat 0.0798829007615118 g
- Calories 66 calories
Step-by-step
- In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
- Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Cool.
- Transfer to storage containers; cover and refrigerate overnight.
Lemon juice drives the profile of this sauce, providing an assertive acidity that cuts through heavy fats found in pork ribs or chops. Cooking begins in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, which distributes heat evenly across the base to prevent scorching the substantial quantity of alliums. Finely chopped onions require eight to ten minutes in canola oil over medium heat until they turn translucent and soft, releasing their natural sugars into the fat. Minced garlic joins the pot during the final sixty seconds of onion cooking, preventing the harsh bitterness that develops when garlic burns. Combining the remaining liquid and dry ingredients follows immediately, creating a loose mixture that requires a rapid boil before heat reduction. Uncovered simmering for fifteen minutes reduces excess moisture and concentrates the tomato base derived from the ketchup and steak sauce. Allowing the finished sauce to rest overnight in refrigerator storage transforms the flavor profile, giving the sharp notes of Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce time to mellow and meld into a cohesive blend. Canola oil acts as the primary cooking fat here because its neutral high-smoke-point profile allows the botanical flavors of the garlic and onion to dominate without competing tastes.
