Home Made or Store Bought: The BBQ Sauce Experiment

I have been pondering the question, is homemade really better? So, I have been doing some experiments. After deciding I wanted to make BBQ chicken sandwiches the Sunday before last, I decided to do a little taste test to see how the store sauce stood up to the  homemade BBQ sauce, and decide if making your own is worth the effort.

I bought some Stubb's BBQ Sauce Original, and got to work researching how I wanted to make my homemade BBQ sauce. I have made BBQ sauce before, but I like to research and read through a few different recipes before I make anything. I also like trying  new recipes to see if  they're better than the last, until I find one I like so much I know I don't need to look around for another to try. I like having homemade salsa around the house, so why not homemade BBQ sauce as well?

I found one that looked good and the only ingredient I had to purchase was the white wine vinegar, so I decided to try it out and then to taste as the sauce progressed so I knew what variables to temper with to get it just right! The last sauce I made used cider vinegar as opposed to white wine vinegar, and I ended up adding a bit of cider vinegar becuase I like the flavor it adds.  Rachel was over that Saturday night to help me with my experiment, so we rolled up our sleeves and scoured the pantry and ended up with a wonderful BBQ sauce in about 5 minutes!

The Stubb's is so good, that after trying it before getting started I didn't think we could top it, but I ended up liking the homemade better! They were very different though, and I decided  that for as easy as it is to make homemade, you might as well if you have the ingredients already, especially if you are putting it with chicken.  The homemade was sweeter and spicier, and the Stubb's has more of a smokey flavor to it.

We used our homemade sauce for the BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, and it was the perfect compliment to the sweetness of the grilled peaches!

If you are feeling ambitious, here is the recipe for my homemade BBQ Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (not the flakes)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons worsteshire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix together in a sauce pan over med-low heat until all ingredients are incorporated and sauce is warm.

Note about sauces: they are so much influenced by personal preference, start with the basics on this one and taste as you go.  If you don't like it as spicy, add in less of the pepper and tabasco.  If you don't have both vinegars, just use one. If you like yours sweeter, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar or if you prefer it to be more tomatoey add more ketchup, or you sub in tomato paste! This is really just a guideline. I always recommend reading through a few different reciepes before making something, and then picking and choosing a bit as applicable to make it what you are going to like best!  I didn't use liquid smoke, but if you like that smokey flavor, add a teaspoon to start and see how it impacts the flavor. Try it out and let me know how it goes!