Sweet & Tangy KC style BBQ Sauce
As a producer of pastured pork it would be a crying shame not to have our own BBQ sauce recipe. And this one is a fan favorite. The sweet and smokiness is balanced so well with the tangy vinegar to leave you coming back for more. I make this in a pretty large batch so I can have some stocked up. If you are a canner it works great to process it in a water bath for shelf stable storage. I like to follow ballmasonjars.com guidelines for food safe canning.
Now, in typical Lacy fashion, this recipe calls for ketchup. And yes, yes you can just go buy ketchup from the store to make the process easier. But that defeats the homemade, know whats in it, mindset I am so stubbornly for. I suppose I’m gonna die on this hill, ladle in one hand, BBQ sauce splattered all over my face, determined to do every last thing from scratch. But as I am getting wiser (lets face it, just older) I recognize that there are some things that I just need to let go of. So, for this recipe it will call for ketchup. But if you want to be EXTRA, here is a link to the ketchup recipe I use by my good friend Ruthann (definitely check out her website and Youtube for all things from scratch). Then you’ll have BOTH condiments stocked up. Its a win/win. But enough about ketchup, here’s the BBQ sauce recipe you’ve been patiently waiting for…
SWEET & TANGY KANSAS CITY STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes 1 gallon
Ingredients
2 quarts (8 cups) tomato ketchup
3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup paprika or to taste
1/4 cup onion powder
2 TBS ground black pepper, or to taste
16 garlic cloves, minced
3 cup water
Dash of liquid smoke
Combine all ingredients in a saucepot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour to allow sauce to thicken. Add more sugar or seasonings to taste.
Cool to room temperature to allow flavors to meld. Ideally this would sit overnight but no less than one hour before using.
Keep in refrigerator and use within a month (but I should probably tell you 10 days to be PC). Or follow the Ball canning guidelines to water bath can it for shelf stable BBQ whenever you need it.
This sauce is great for basting meat on the grill, dipping sauce, or slathering your pork sandwich.
I hope you enjoy!