Tangy Homemade Barbecue Sauce

A couple of weeks ago our friend had us over for a smoked brisket dinner and he made this outstanding bbq sauce to slather all over the meat.

Being from Texas I'm used to thick, sweet and smoky sauce, but after having this tangy/sweet homemade sauce, I've seen the light!

This Tangy Homemade Barbecue Sauce originated with Aaron Franklin - the famous barbecue guy down in Austin, Texas. Texas monthly says that Franklin's BBQ is "Serving the Best Barbecue in the Known Universe!"

I leave the brisket-making in our house to Bret. His method is super simple - get a brisket (fat on, also called 'packer trim'). Put that brisket in a roasting pan fat side up and stick it in a 200° oven for about 10 hours until a giant fork slides easily in and out of the meat.

No salt, no pepper - no seasoning whatsoever. Drizzle this awesome bbq sauce on that brisket and your life is complete. Really.

It takes all of 15 minutes to make the sauce, including measuring out the ingredients. You put everything in a big saucepan, stir them together and simmer for a few minutes.

I adapted Mr. Franklin's recipe a bit to our tastes and will note those changes in my Tips and Stuff notes. The original is too vinegary for us (½ cup) so I cut that in half, added some red pepper flakes for a tiny kick, a squirt of lemon juice, and a little more brown sugar. Perfection.

The point is you can taste and adjust as you simmer the sauce. Remember though, the flavors meld and mute a bit after the sauce is cooled.

If you've never thought about making bbq sauce at home, try this one. Easy ingredients, easy preparation and you end up with a fresh, delicious, tangy/sweet bbq sauce that's great on brisket, steaks, or burgers.

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Tangy Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Outstanding homemade barbecue sauce!

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Ingredients

• 1 ¾ C ketchup
• ¾ C water
• ¼ C apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ¼ C plus 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
• 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and warm gently over medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are combined.
2. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a jar or bottle and refrigerate. Keeps up to 1 month.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Changes I made from Mr. Franklin's original recipe:  added a little more water, omitted ¼ cup of the white vinegar, added a bit more brown sugar, added red pepper flakes for a little kick, and stirred in lemon juice.

If you're using regular salt instead of kosher salt, use ½ teaspoon less.

Before removing from the stove, adjust the spices to your tastes.  

It may seem very vinegary, but the flavors meld and the vinegar taste wanes a little after cooled.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1 tbsp
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 18Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g

Nutrition Values are Approximate