Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1” pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 cup whiskey (Jack) or beef broth
- 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1/2 cup strong coffee
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Spice Rub *See Note
Spice Rub
- 2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 4 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Instructions
Make the Spice Rub
- Add the spice rub ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Cover tightly and set aside.
- You will have extra so store in an air-tight container.
Make the Bacon BBQ Sauce
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat, and add the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot and discard.
- To the pan, add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoon spice rub mix. Stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients (whiskey/broth, Worcestershire, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, espresso powder, honey and maple syrup) and bring to a low simmer. Add the cooked bacon; stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the stove and allow to cool if leaving chunky. If you want it smooth, use an immersion blender to smooth. Transfer to a covered container (I prefer glass) and store it in the fridge.
Notes
The Spice Rub recipe makes more than what is called for in this recipe. I would recommend making a batch of it, measuring out what you need for the recipe, and then putting the rest in a jar with a lid for later.
Find it online: https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2013/06/08/bacon-bbq-sauce/
