Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce for Wings and Ribs
I swear May is a crazy weather month around here. You can get a sunburn and heatstroke one day and frostbite the next. Okay…I’m exaggerating a little bit, but the start of this week has been pretty chilly compared to the summer-like hot weather we had on the long weekend that just passed. Regardless, this is still so much better than the freezing temperatures of the long winter we had, so I’ll stop complaining now. You can’t hold me to that, though…we’re Canadians…the weather (though rarely any surprise) is the number one topic of most small-talk conversations ;-).
Along with the heat and sunshine comes an appetite for grilling. If it feels like summer, we should cook like it’s summer. Nelson doesn’t really break from barbecuing throughout the winter though–he keeps a shovel on the deck to clear a path to the BBQ. Nothing keeps him from firing up the grill year round. But the thought of being outside in shorts–BBQ tongs in one hand and an ice cold beer in the other hand–does make him happy. He’s not even much of a beer drinker, but he says it tastes extra good while he’s grilling on the deck when the weather’s hot.
Now, about this sauce…Nelson has been working on this recipe for some time now. He started with a mix of base bbq sauce recipes a couple of years ago i.e. apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, etc. He kept adding to it until he found the perfect mix. You can buy very decent sauces at the store, and we have bought some delicious ones in the past. Also, this recipe won’t save you money since it includes a full cup of Jack Daniel’s, but oh man, it is amazing! Nelson typically uses the sauce on ribs and wings (both recipes coming soon), but it can be used for almost anything that’ll go with a good smokey BBQ sauce. This sauce is thick so it’ll really stick well to meat.
Our boys (and I) love this stuff! Nelson and Michael can handle more heat, but Nelson keeps the heat to a minimum in this recipe so that even our little guy licks his fingers when he’s done gnawing on a rib or a chicken wing. If you like some heat, add more Tabasco or whatever other hot sauce you please.
Now get out there and do some grilling–you know, before the summer’s over (ouch). We hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce for Wings and Ribs
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup of Jack Daniel’s whiskey
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2¼ cups ketchup
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp Tabasco (or more if you like kick)
- In a large frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil.
- Once the onions start to look translucent, add the whiskey
- Let the whickey mix cook/reduce by about ¼
- Add the pepper, salt, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and tabasco. Mix well.
- Let simmer on for 20 minutes.
- Puree the mixture with a hand held blender, blender or food processor.
- The bbq sauce is ready to serve, or refrigerate and use over the next few days
I love this idea! My husband loves his whiskey and this is the perfect way to use it!!!
Hi Justine, I hope you enjoy them, my family’s addicted to this sauce 🙂 I posted a new wings recipe tonight that used the same sauce. Take care.
I from New England and know how you feel about this past winter. It was especially rough with record snowfall. This sauce sounds amazing! Pinning it for future use.
Hi Thao, we really do love it! We had wings just yesterday using that sauce. My kids’ hands looked washed when they were done (finger licking good). Thanks for dropping by. Take care