Kitchen Tip #1: How to Make Your Own BBQ Sauce

We love barbecue in our family. Whether barbecue pork, beef or chicken, it doesn't matter. And I can't seem to keep bottled barbecue sauce in the house. But if you have ever read the label on the bottle, you will see that high fructose corn syrup is often the number one or two ingredient in most brands.

Since I am trying to reduce and eventually eliminate all HFCS in this house, I decided to make my own BBQ sauce from scratch, using ingredients I have on hand. It's super easy to make, keeps forever in the fridge because of the vinegar, and is very cost-efficient. Plus, you can be creative and add whatever ingredients your family likes. We like a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.

So, here's how I make BBQ sauce in THREE easy steps:

(1) Get out your ingredients and dump them in your pot.




I'm using the following, but feel free to use what you like and vary the quantities if you like your sauce sweeter, tangier, hotter, or milder.

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I've also used honey, which is good.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
A dash or two of hot sauce (if you like)
Pinch of salt and some ground black pepper

(2) Bring to boil on medium heat; reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.



(3) Taste! That's it! If you like what you got, you can brush it on your meat. Or, if you made it hours before you plan to use it like I did, let it cool and then refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce, so if you want more, you can double the recipe so you'll have some extra on hand for leftovers or future meals.

Bring on the barbecue!!!