Chipotle Bacon BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce isn’t hard to make.  But because of the amount of different ingredients involved, it does take some time and can leave your kitchen a bit messy.  But it is worth it.  It is so satisfying to mix all this stuff together, tweak a bit here and there, and wind up with a sauce that you’re proud of.  In this case, I was inspired by some store bought sauce that I first tasted on some wings, Bronco Bob’s Smoked Bacon Chipotle Sauce.  I took my basic barbecue sauce and substituted bacon drippings for the oil, and replaced some of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder, and bingo, we have a winner.  This is great on pork chops, chicken wings, chicken breasts, ribs, etc.  To store, since it contains meat (bacon drippings), you have to either use it within a few days, or freeze it for near future use.

Ingredients

5 slices of bacon

1/3 cup minced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tbsp Wostershier sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp dry ground mustard

2 tsp chipotle powder (more or less based on how much kick you want)

1 tbsp chili powder (ancho)

Directions

1. Fry the bacon to render the fat.
2. Take 2.5 tbsp of the fat that was rendered out of the bacon.  Add to a sauce pan.
3. Saute the minced onions  in the rendered fat in the sauce pan over medium low heat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2 until garlic is soft.
5. Add dry spices and cook for another minute.
6. Add remaining ingredients and stir.
7. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until thick.
8. Let cool and refrigerate.
9. Add to whatever your cooking!

I like to let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours prior to using.  The flavors continue to meld for some reason, and it gets better over time.