I’m always on the lookout for a different sauce for my smoked ribs, pulled pork, or whatever meats I’m cooking on my smoker. It’s not because I don’t already have a good collection of sauces that I love. It’s because sometimes you just want something different. This smokehouse BBQ sauce intrigued me when I first saw it because it had both chile peppers and lemon juice. I thought, well, that’s new. So I made it and it came out great on a nice big rack of smoked spare ribs!
Thick but not too thick, this smokehouse BBQ sauce has a hint of spiciness, a hint of smokiness, and a slight vinegar kick. In a way it’s a combination of many BBQ sauces, from Kansas City to Memphis to the Carolinas. Different, but different in a very good, very tasty way. And it has the perfect consistency for sticking to my ribs, my chicken, my pulled pork…. anything!
I like to keep my sauces in squeeze bottles. I love squirting sauce onto burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches… Anything that can be squirted! I write the contents and date-of-mixing on painter’s blue tape and put that on the bottles so I can keep track of them.
Smokehouse BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 dried ancho chile peppers
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- ½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- Liquid smoke to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- ½ lemon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chiles and toast for 2-3 minutes. Turn and continue toasting until softened.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Remove peppers to a cutting board, but reserve the water.
- Remove stems and seeds from the peppers and chop lightly. Transfer to a blender and add the reserved water. Puree until smooth and return to the skillet.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the lemon and butter.
- Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for 30 minutes until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Stir in the lemon juice and add the butter and stir until melted.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.