Yep you read that right, bacon AND bourbon. The combo is insane. Remember that homemade ketchup we shared? Ever since then, we’ve been up to our elbows experimenting with homemade barbecue sauces. The moment we came up with this recipe, we knew we had to share it with you. It is definitely our current favorite and is made completely from scratch.
How to Make Your Very Own Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
The barbecue sauce is simple, too — no complicated ingredients and less time in front of the stove than you might think. This is a must try, especially if you’re into bourbon and bacon! It’s no surprise that this recipe starts with bacon. All the fat needs to render — we like using our dutch oven since it’s wide enough for the bacon to be in one layer. Once the bacon has rendered, you have two options. Option 1 is to remove the bacon and leave the fat. This will make a barbecue sauce that’s got a tiny hint of smoky bacon. Option 2 is to leave the bacon in and blend it into the sauce in the end. We go for option 2 and love blending the bacon into the sauce since we love having that bacon punch in the final sauce. After the bacon, we add some onions, garlic and a little smokiness from cumin. Then comes the bourbon — we go for a mid-range bottle. There’s no need to splurge, here. Don’t go for the most expensive bottle, but make sure you choose something you actually like the taste of. This time we used Woodford Reserve, but use what you love. And finally, we add the rest of the ingredients: a can of tomatoes, some mustard, sugar, molasses and spices. After about 20 minutes, you get this — basically, a bubbling pot of awesome. And after a quick blend, you get this. A smoky, bourbon laced sauce ready for ribs, chicken and pork. Bonus: The barbecue sauce lasts about a week in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer. So you should probably go ahead and make a batch now. You’ll thank yourself later. Recipe updated, originally posted July 2015. Since posting this in 2015, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne 1 medium onion, sliced into half moons 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 cup (175 ml) bourbon, use a mid-range bourbon like Woodford Reserve or Bulleit 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons dark molasses 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 to 5 dashes hot sauce, optional 2Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin then cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 3Stir in the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Cook at a low simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly (a good visual is when the sauce can hold a line on the back of a spoon when you drag a finger through it), about 25 minutes.
