We prepared this smoky BBQ sauce a few days before traditional Greek Lent. We barely found some time to make tasty burgers with our cherished handmade brioche buns.
One of these burgers triggered the following recipe, which made us decide to go with the full-fat version, especially aimed at those irritating lucky guys who can eat whatever they crave without having to go up a size in clothes. So, what couldn’t be absent from this burger is its all-time lover, the BBQ sauce.
We experimented a little with the flavour of the sauce because we didn’t want it to be predictable, as if it just came out of a sealed bottle. Finally, we got the taste that would match perfectly with our squishy burger. Crunchy onion rings, bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg would round off this crazy deliciousness of a recipe that follows.
About this smoky BBQ sauce and the key ingredients
This barbecue sauce carries a strong ‘smoky’ flavour, earning its name. When you taste it, it makes you feel you’re above a grill or next to a BBQ smoker seduced by the smells that swirl in the air – without the odour on your clothes and hair, though.
It is easy peasy and pretty quick, ready to use in 5 mins only. There are two key ingredients:
- a) sumac
- b) smoked paprika
Sumac adds a deep crimson colour and the citrusy notes that puncture the nostrils. Paprika does the rest.
Pay particular attention to the paprika you will use, which has to be a good quality smoked one. Not because an ordinary paprika will affect the texture or success. But taste-wise, the result will be much more earthy compared to what the smoked offers.
You can safely keep the BBQ sauce in a glass jar in your pantry or place it in the fridge.
Finally, besides burgers and grilled meat or chicken, you can try your smoked barbecue sauce with spare ribs, slow-cooked pulled pork, Tex-Mex Tamale Pie, or next to fried potatoes or onion rings as a dip, as well as fried squid and shrimps. You can also use it as a smoky BBQ marinade.
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Easy smoky homemade BBQ sauce
Preparation: 5 minutes. What you need is just a blender. No cooking. Very easy and quick recipe.
Ingredients
1-1 ½ cup dark brown sugar (depending on how sweet you fancy it)
1 cup ketchup (preferably organic)
½ cup apple cider or white vinegar
½ cup water
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2½ tbs Dijon mustard
3 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp black pepper
½ -1 tsp cayenne (depending on how hot you like it)
1 ½ tsp Sumac
To prepare the BBQ sauce: Put all the ingredients into the blender. Mix until they are homogeneous and become a thick sauce.
To serve: Your smoked BBQ sauce is the ideal companion to grilled meats and fried or roasted potatoes. It also makes the perfect match to classic American-style burgers, meaty or meat-free.
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