Barbecue Sauce

Technically there's less than 2 weeks left of summer, but with the weather starting to cool off a bit I've finally been in the mood to fire up the grill. With all this grilling I had planned I figured we'd need a good slatherin' sauce- bold enough for chicken, but also sweet, spicy, and smoky enough for ribs. Enter my Hungry Texan Barbecue Sauce, a slow simmered, big-batch recipe, great to feed a crowd or more than enough to last all week.

Hungry Texan Barbecue Sauce
(printable recipe)

3 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/2 c molasses
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 c + 2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. red pepper flake
1/4 c honey
1/4 c dark brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small yellow onion, cut into quarters
1 jalapeno, stemmed & seeded
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. liquid smoke
2 tbsp. mustard

Combine all ingredients a large crockpot. Turn on low and cook for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally. Sauce should thicken and coat a spoon. Use immediately to slather on grilled meats or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes about 2 quarts.

Spicy Variation: Puree 2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and add to sauce. I like to divide the barbecue sauce in half and make 1 as is (mild) and 1 spicy.