Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Barbecue Baked Beans: Part Two - Barbecue Sauce


[Note: my bean recipe consists of three parts: Barbecue Spice which is then used to make Barbecue Sauce which is then used to make Barbecue Baked Beans.]

This recipe is adapted from one in the June 2004 Issue (#76) of Saveur Magazine. It is by Rick Bayless, better known for his inventive interpretation of Mexican dishes, and a fellow Chicago resident. What I didn't know is that his parents ran a very successful roadside barbecue restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma called The Hickory House.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of Barbecue Sauce. If you like a sauce with some zip and vinegar, more like a Kansas City sauce but not as sour a a North Carolina sauce, this is the one for you. Besides being used in the bean recipe, this sauce is perfectly respectable for ribs or chicken.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups ketchup

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup water

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2-3 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tsp barbecue spice

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Salt

PREPARATION

1. Put ketchup, sugar, garlic, water, Worcestershire, vinegar, barbecue spice and pepper into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir until well combined.

2. Season with salt to taste.

3. Simmer over medium-low heat, and maintain a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.

4. If not using sauce right away, allow to cool, then store in a clean jar, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.