Grim's Christmas Barbecue Sauce

Cast iron cooking gives the best flavor.

A year or so ago I posted a recipe for barbecue sauce. I have a Christmas version that differs slightly, which I made today in order to ship as gifts. I've also refined my technique slightly as I will explain. Here are the recipes, both the Christmas version and the original for ease of reference. 

Grim's Christmas Barbecue Sauce

Tomato powder (see note) or 1 can (8oz) tomato paste

Several cups brewed black coffee (more if using tomato powder)

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chipotle powder (a smaller amount of cayenne would be more typical for a Georgia sauce, but the larger quantity of chipotle adds to the smoky flavor)

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder (or just ancho chili powder)

1 tsp black pepper

Small shot, Apple cider vinegar

Full shot, Rye whiskey

Salt to taste

The major differences from the original are the addition of Rye whiskey, the increase in smoked paprika to a whole tablespoon, and the use of tomato powder. 

This last is an innovation my wife and I have discovered as part of our ongoing Victory Garden efforts. I always make many gallons of spaghetti sauces and various salsas at tomato harvest time, which I can in an over-the-top water bath as it is sufficiently acidic for that method. We still have lots of tomatoes. In the past I've run these through a dehydrator and sealed up like sun-dried tomatoes, but this year my wife learned to make them into tomato powder instead. By crushing the dehydrated tomato slices into powder, you can seal them up with an oxygen absorber that can almost entirely eliminate oxidation. The powder is then shelf-stable for up to 25 years.

At first I didn't know what I'd do with tomato powder, but it turns out to be a real advantage in the kitchen. It allows for a very fine control over both the tomato-y-ness of the sauce, stew, chili, or whatever else you are making; and it's a great thickener. You can add another dash, a teaspoon, a cup, or whatever else you'd like to achieve the desired thickness and tomato flavor. I highly recommend it. 

Tomato Powder.

I also learned to make Hungarian Chicken Paprikash this year, and learned thereby that you can use much larger quantities of paprika to create a richer sauce. I thus tripled the amount of smoked paprika (and only smoked for this version: with the chipotle, it gives the sauce a spicy, smoky kick).

The original sauce was a Georgia-style spicy tomato-based barbecue sauce. The major difference between that style and the eastern Tennessee style is whiskey. This version is for gifting, and all my family is from east Tennessee. I tried Tennessee whiskey in it, but the corn flavor is unpleasant to me. Rye whiskey compliments the spiciness nicely. I used Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Rye.  

If you use the 8oz of tomato paste, you'll only need maybe four cups of coffee; if you use the tomato powder, you'll need to add quite a bit more (or hot water if you prefer to keep the coffee content near the original). Once it's all cooked together, adding water and/or tomato powder to give it the desired flavor and thickness, this should produce almost exactly one quart of sauce. I recommend dividing this into two pints and over-the-top water canning it, which allows it to be stored or shipped as gifts to appreciative family or friends.

The original recipe is below for ease of reference and comparison. 

Grim's Barbecue Sauce (Original)

1 can (8 oz) tomato paste

Several cups brewed black coffee

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chipotle powder (a smaller amount of cayenne would be more typical for a Georgia sauce, but the larger quantity of chipotle adds to the smoky flavor)

1 tsp smoked or hot paprika

1 tsp chili powder (or just ancho chili powder)

1 tsp black pepper

Small shot, Apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

UPDATE:

Canning complete. 

UPDATE:

While I had the canning gear out, I also whipped up some fire-roasted mango habanero salsa. That’s not a secret recipe or anything.