Bar Americain Barbecue Sauce
This Southwest-inspired house barbecue sauce is used on its own or as the base of many sauces at Bar Americain. It is slightly sweet from the molasses, honey, and brown sugar and slightly earthy from the dried red chiles. It is the perfect sauce slathered on smoked ribs (page 149), or spiced up and spooned onto grilled oysters on the half shell (page 72). Adding bourbon transports this sauce from Sante Fe to Kentucky in a matter of minutes.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, 2 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, 1 cup water, and the chiles, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and molasses and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to a medium saucepan over high heat, add the maple syrup, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. The sauce will keep, stored in a tightly sealed container, in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Variation
Step 4
BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE
Step 5
(makes about 3 cups)
Step 6
Bring 2 cups bourbon to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced by half to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened and the sugar melts, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature. Add to Bar Americain Barbecue Sauce when you add the maple syrup.
