This sauce has everything a barbecue sauce should have: something sweet, lots of heat and a spicy tomato taste. There 's bourbon too. It cooks up thick, spreadable and sensational. This recipe yields enough for a mess of ribs.
INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings):
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup premium bourbon
- 32 ounces honey
- 1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce
- 1 (16 ounce) jar hot salsa
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
PREPARATION:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic for 10 to 15 minutes, or until onion is caramelized. Reduce heat to low and pour in about 1 cup of bourbon to deglaze the pan. Return saucepan to medium high heat, add the remaining bourbon, and bring to a slow boil for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook out of the bourbon.
Add the honey, picante sauce, hot pepper sauce, tomato paste, tomato-vegetable juice and ground black pepper and stir well. Bring this mixture to a slow, rolling boil for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and cool in the refrigerator.
Marinate your meat in a separate large, nonporous bowl for 3 to 4 hours, pouring sauce over meat. Boil remaining sauce for 10 minutes and serve with meat, if desired. Discard any excess marinade.