Name: Texas Barbecue Sauce
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 (Makes about 2 cups)
Cuisine: American, Southern, US & Canada
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 small onion, chopped fine; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; 2 cups tomato juice; 6 tablespoons white vinegar; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons molasses

Why This Recipe Works

For our version of Texas Barbecue Sauce, we combined the usual sauce ingredients—vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, etc.—with dry mustard, pepper, and chili powder for spiciness. Savory Worcestershire sauce added depth, while tomato juice (in place of ketchup) provided tangy flavor and helped thin the sauce out.

Before You Begin

This peppery, tangy barbecue sauce works well with beef, chicken, and pork. In Texas, barbecue sauce is usually served on the side.

Instructions

COOK AROMATICS Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, pepper, and mustard and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

SIMMER SAUCE Stir in tomato juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, and molasses and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with salt. Serve at room temperature. (Sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week.)