Day 99 - Backyard BBQ Sauce

Backyard BBQ Sauce

I love making things like this, sauces that usually come in jars but when you make them from scratch, they obliterate the memory of the jarred versions.

I'm not sure about this one, though....

It's easy enough to make. And I cooked mine for a good long time. I pureed it for a nice, even consistency. But the flavor was... um... weird.

I think I'm going to blame the liquid smoke. It's a hefty amount to add, 2 teaspoons. That stuff is strong. And it gave the sauce a fake, otherworldly kind of taste, at least to me. (Note: when I served it to my friend Darcy - see tomorrow - she did not have the same reaction.)

Also, the tomato presence seemed overwhelming, so at the end of the process when I was invited to "adjust the flavors," I did add a little more sugar and vinegar. But just a little.

Note to those sensitive to heat: that teaspoon of red pepper flakes packs a wallop. It doesn't kick it into the realm of the inedible, but at that level, this is not a mild BBQ sauce. If you just want a background heat, I'd consider reducing that measurement by a half.

SFO: 10