Homemade Barbecue Sauce

You have to be careful, throwing around the term “barbecue” in a state like Texas. Some people take it real personal, what is or ain’t barbecue.

 

But I feel like this sauce lives up to its proud heritage. It’s complex, delicious, and completely sugar-free. Start by sauteeing one small onion in a pan with a little olive oil, until the onion is translucent. Then add 3 cloves of garlic, 3 pitted dates, and 1 1/2 tsp of tomato paste. Don’t spend too much energy dicing anything too finely, since you’re going to be blending the whole thing before you’re done anyway.

 

After sauteeing for another three or four minutes, add 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar to the pan.

 

Add 1/2 cup honey, and stir well to combine.

 

Next, add in 2 cups of pureed tomatoes. If you don’t have a product like this in your grocery store, you can also quickly blend up a couple fresh ones, seeds and all.

 

Finally, add in 1 Tablespoon of brown mustard. (SCD-ers take note, I am using Eden Organic Brown Mustard, the only retail mustard I know of that is SCD-legal.)

 

Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until thickened.

 

Puree everything until smooth, then store in the fridge for up to a couple weeks. The recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, so I usually freeze half for later use. Not too much later, though. I always find myself thawing it sooner than I expected.

 

Happy Eating!

 

The GFCF Lady’s Barbecue Sauce

1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
3 dates
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 cups pureed tomatoes
1 TBS brown mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne pepper