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TENNESSEE-STYLE ALL-PURPOSE BARBECUE SAUCE

Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Grilling
by Don Mauer

Yield: about 2 1/2 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serving size: 1 or 2 tablespoons

Ingredients
• 1 TB. vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced, or pushed through a garlic press
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup not-from-concentrate orange juice
• 1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 cup whiskey
• 1 TB. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest


Directions
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until softened. Add and combine ketchup, orange juice, molasses, whiskey, brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and orange zest. Bring to a low simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Brush on chicken, pork, or beef during the last 10 minutes of grilling. If desired, reheat and pass additional sauce.


Barbecue Banter.
When grating orange zest, first rinse the peel under cold running water, and then dry it well with a clean paper towel. Using the finest side on your box grater, just take the orange part, not the white part—the pith—underneath. The pith is bitter.