RECIPE: Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Sauce Recipe - perfect for Labor Day BBQs!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 smallish onion, coarsely chopped (preferably a Spanish or other sweet onion)

3 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or substitute sherry vinegar)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 canned chipotle adobo, chopped (note that this is 1 chipotle pepper from a can of peppers, not 1 can of peppers)

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón)

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon molasses

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.     Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

2.     Add the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle chile, ancho chile powder, paprika, brown sugar, honey, and molasses and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 10 minutes or until thickened. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

3.     Scrape the barbecue sauce into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth or until the desired consistency. The sauce will be quite, quite thick. Let cool to room temperature. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. You can start dousing and dolloping right away, although if     you wait overnight you’ll be rewarded with a more complex, three-dimensional taste. (You can cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using.)