10 Ways to Use BBQ Sauce
A jar of my homemade BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy and smoky, and you know everything that goes into it. Once a batch is in the fridge, it is ready for ribs, chicken, burgers and even breakfast.
The Thermomix® TM7™ chops, cooks and blends it, and one batch makes about 3 cups (720 ml) that keep 2 weeks in the fridge, so it is the sauce I always have ready. Here are the 10 ways I use it most, with amounts and a tip for each. One rule for all of them: brush it on near the end, because the sugar burns over high heat.
Oven baby back ribs
Make my oven BBQ baby back ribs and glaze them with about 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of this sauce instead of the honey sauce in that recipe. Brush on a coat, let it caramelize in the hot oven, then brush on another. Keep a little extra in a bowl at the table for dipping.
Pulled pork sandwiches
After you shred the pork from my pulled pork sandwich, stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of BBQ sauce for every 1 lb (450 g) of meat. Pile it on soft buns with coleslaw on top. Serve more sauce on the side, since everyone likes a different amount.
Puerto Rican pinchos
My pinchos are pork skewers brushed with barbecue sauce, and this sauce works perfectly on them. You need about 1 cup (240 ml) for 10 pinchos. Try the guava version from the BBQ sauce tips for a sweet, tropical glaze, and finish each skewer with a cube of soft bread, the way they do in Puerto Rico.
Sticky oven wings
Bake the wings exactly like my buffalo wings, then toss the 24 hot wing pieces with 3/4 cup (180 ml) of warm BBQ sauce instead of the buffalo sauce. Put them back in the oven for 5 minutes so the sauce turns sticky. Line the pan with foil for this step, and cleanup is easy.
Party meatballs
The tips in my cocktail meatballs already suggest it: use about 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of BBQ sauce in place of the bottle of chili sauce, together with the grape jelly. The sauce turns smoky, sweet and glossy. Keep the meatballs warm in a slow cooker on the warm setting through the party.
A BBQ glaze for meatloaf
In my glazed meatloaf, brush 1/2 cup (120 ml) of BBQ sauce on top instead of the ketchup glaze. Add it during the last 15 minutes of baking, so it turns sticky without burning. Leftover slices make a great cold sandwich the next day.
BBQ cheeseburgers
Cook the patties from my classic cheeseburger and use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of BBQ sauce per burger instead of the burger sauce. Add cheddar, crispy bacon and a few thin onion rings. Toast the buns first so the sauce doesn't soak through.
Leftover chicken quesadillas
Toss 2 cups (280 g) of shredded cooked chicken with 1/3 cup (80 ml) of BBQ sauce and use it as the filling for my chicken quesadillas, with cheddar and a little red onion. Cook them in a skillet until the cheese melts and the filling is hot. Cut them into wedges and serve them with sour cream for a quick dinner or a game-day snack.
Quick baked beans
Mix two 15 oz (425 g) cans of drained pinto or navy beans with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of molasses and a little chopped cooked bacon. Bake them in a covered dish at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more. For more flavor, sauté 1 small chopped onion in the bacon fat first.
Breakfast hash with leftovers
Brown 2 cups (300 g) of diced cooked potatoes in a skillet with a little oil, add 1 cup (150 g) of leftover pulled pork or brisket and heat it until it is steaming hot. Drizzle it with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of BBQ sauce and top each plate with a fried egg. Let the potatoes sit for a few minutes without stirring, so they get crispy.
If I learned to cook, you can too, and a jar of homemade BBQ sauce makes every cookout and weeknight dinner feel special. Make a batch, pick an idea and cook along with me.
