Homemade Barbecue Sauce

There are good, great, fabulous, not-so-good, kind-of-good and not-good-at-all BBQ sauces out there. So many types of BBQ sauces with different flavors that I actually get overwhelmed just by thinking about it. 

I have nothing against store-bought BBQ sauce but my rule is "If I can make it, why buy it?" This sauce is one of those things that I always thought you'd buy because of the lack of equipment and ingredients. Boy was I wrong. My mind was completely changed when I tried my Aunt's homemade BBQ sauce for the first time. I never went back to store-bought. It's really easy to make and lucky for us, she is sharing the recipe! 

Ingredients:

For the BBQ sauce

(makes 1 quart)

3 tbs vegetable oil

2 cups ketchup

1-8oz can tomato paste

1 cup water

1/3 cup vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses 

fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

In a medium saucepan, add the oil and saute the onions and garlic for about five minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 45 minutes.

For the Chicken

12 chicken drumsticks 

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dijon mustard 

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To make the marinade, combine the garlic, dijon mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a large enough resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Make sure the chicken is completely covered with the marinade. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill the chicken and brush BBQ sauce liberally two minutes before it's done. Serve immediately.