There are not only many recipes for barbecue sauce out there, but also many different styles from Texas, to Kansas City, to the Carolinas, and even some that defy regional categorization. Today we’re going to share a wonderful Texas style barbecue sauce.
In Texas, the sauce perfectly compliments their style of barbecue. It’s a slightly thinner sauce than say Kansas City, and generally spicier too. It’s meant to be served on the side, as the meat is usually cooked with a dry rub. It’s a perfect sauce for smoked meats, and its thinner texture really helps it get into the meat instead of sitting on top like ketchup would. For our recipe, we used tomato juice instead of a sauce to keep the texture nice and thin, and we added in some vinegar and Worcestershire sauce for that wonderful acidity. Some molasses added sweetness to the sauce that mixed ell with the juice, while some minced chipotle in adobo sauce brought the heat. Keep reading below for this great recipe…
Texas Style Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon minced chipotle chile in adobo
- 2 tablespoon dark molasses
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat the butter in a small, nonreactive pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add garlic, chili powder, cayenne, and brown sugar. Stir constantly until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the tomato juice, 1/2 cup vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chipotle, molasses, and salt.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 30 to 40 minutes. Once off the heat, stir in the pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup vinegar. Cool to room temperature before serving.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted fromTexas A&M