In the world of grilling, there’s one condiment that stands out above the rest – and that condiment is barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce isn’t anything new, in-fact it’s been the secret weapon of many pit masters for over 200 years. For those of us in the United States, the sauce is deeply intertwined with the art of grilling as well as the history of barbecue establishments. Each different region, from Kansas City to Texas, and North Carolina to Tennessee has their own different style of barbecue sauce. Some sauces use only a few ingredients while others are based on a huge top secret list of components. In either case barbecue sauce can put a fantastic finish on your grilled meats, so today we’ll show you how to make your own.

Starting at the Bottom

Like many other recipes, making a good sauce starts with a base. The base consists of a few simple ingredients and usually starts with a tomato product, such as tomato sauce, puree, or ketchup. Typically sugar, salt and pepper are then added along with other standard liquid flavorings like Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice or Tabasco sauce. After building a base, more specific ingredients that pair well together can be added. These specific ingredients can include things like fruit purees, spices, herbs, chili peppers, and even alcohol (or other beverages). Fresh onion and garlic (and their powdered counterparts) also find their way into many sauce recipes in the world of barbecue.

The Standard Barbecue Sauce Recipe

To start us off in our barbecue sauce adventure we’ve come up with a basic, easy to make barbecue sauce that takes little time to prepare.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 C. organic ketchup
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ C. yellow onion, small dice

Instructions

1. In a medium sized sauce pot add olive oil and set flame to medium.
2. Once oil has heated, place chopped onions and sauté until fragrant and translucent, approximately 1-2 minutes.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and continue heating mixture until it bubbles, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Once sauce is bubbling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes to combine flavors. Remove sauce from heat, place into a blender, and puree until smooth.

(Yields approx. 2 cups)

Fig Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

After making a successful first batch we’re ready for the fun part, experimenting with more advanced flavors and ingredient ideas. This recipe plays on the classic, delicious duo of figs and balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ½ small red onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. port
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ C. black mission figs, sliced
• ½ C. organic ketchup
• ¼ C. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. red chili flake
• 1 tsp. fresh ground coffee

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepot over medium high flame for 30 seconds.
2. Once oil is hot, add onions and sauté until translucent.
3. Add coffee grounds and continue cooking until fragrant.
4. Add port and simmer briefly to cook away alcohol.
5. Add balsamic, figs, ketchup, sugar, and chili flake and bring to a simmer.
6. Cook over low flame approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until flavors combine.
7. Cool at room temperature then refrigerate in a covered container.

(Yields approx. 2 cups)

Daniel Replogle

Daniel does business development and marketing at The Companion Group. When he isn’t writing you can find him rock climbing or doing ceramic artwork.