Homemade BBQ Sauce

Summer is quickly approaching, which means more BBQ's, right?? I had the sudden craving for some spare ribs which also prompted me to come up with my own BBQ sauce. I AM SO HAPPY, I DID! I will never again, go back to store bought! My version is kid friendly so I don't put any spicy seasoning in it, at all, but if you like spicy(like I do), then I would highly recommend throwing in some chili powder/flakes, cayenne, Sriracha sauce, or even some chopped jalapenos into the mix! You are probably going to read through my list of ingredients and say to yourself, "HEY LADY, WHERE IS THE WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE???" Sorry, folks but my recipe doesn't have it(nor need it)...plus, I think that my blend of hoisen sauce along with the concentrated tamarind pulp, give my BBQ sauce the perfect amount of tang and kick!

You will need:

3 cloves of chopped garlic
half of a shallot,  chopped

For the BBQ sauce:

1/4 cup of molasses
1/4 cup of hoisen sauce(recommended Koon Chun brand)
1/3 cup of ketchup
1 Tbsp of tomato paste
1 Tbsp of concentrated tamarind pulp
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp of brown sugar
1/4 tsp of ground mustard
1/4 tsp of paprika
1/8 tsp of salt
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of sesame oil
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice(if using store bought make sure it's not from concentrate)
2 tsp of liquid smoke
optional: cayenne pepper, chili powder/flakes

*You will also need some oil for the saucepan

In a small mixing bowl, add in all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce into a small bowl. Stir and set aside. Then, in a small non stick saucepan on medium heat, add in some oil. Add in your shallots, along with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Add in your garlic and stir fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. Next, add in your BBQ sauce mixture and bring it to a quick rolling boil. Reduce heat to low or medium low and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir it once or twice to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let it cool down completely before using or storing.

Note: If you like your BBQ sauce more tangy, add a bit more vinegar to taste!