Smoky, Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Prairie Home Cooking, 1999

1 hour — 1 pint barbecue sauce

Ingredients

1	large	yellow onion (chopped)
3⁄4	cup	cider vinegar
3⁄4	cup	brown sugar (packed)
1⁄2	cup	honey
1⁄4	cup	molasses (sorghum, or corn syrup)
12	ounce	tomato paste
1⁄4	cup	brown mustard
1	teaspoon	celery seed
1	teaspoon	ground cumin
1	teaspoon	ground coriander
1	teaspoon	garlic powder
1⁄4	teaspoon	cayenne pepper
1⁄4	teaspoon	hot sauce
3	teaspoon	liquid smoke (or to taste)
1⁄4	teaspoon	black pepper

Instructions

Purée the onion vinegar, brown sugar, honey, and molasses in a food processor or blender. Put the tomato paste in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the onion purée into the tomato paste and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer. Add the rest of the seasonings, and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and ladle the sauce into a sieve placed over a bowl. Press the sauce through the sieve with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a lidded jar. Refrigerate, the sauce will keep indefinitely. Reheat before using.