Texas Red Eye Ranch BBQ suace, authentic, smoky, Texas barbecue sauce...

Wow! With a name like Texas "Red Eye" Ranch BBQ sauce, you know this has to be good. I've spent a bit of time in Texas barbecue country, and this sauce is the type that Texans prefer with their meat. As per protocol in Texas, this sauce is served on the side, and can be applied directly to me meat, or it can be used for dipping. The "Red Eye" sauce gets its name from the fact that a key ingredient is black coffee.

Special tools: Cast iron frying pan, but any frying pan will work, blender
Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 35 minutes
Yield: 1 cup, 235 ml, about 4 servings

1 tablespoon, 15 ml, corn oil
1 cup, 235 ml, chopped white onion
1 large diced jalapeno pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup, 120 ml, ketchup, any brand
6 tablespoons, 90 ml, Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup, 120 ml, black coffee
2 tablespoons, 30 ml, molasses, any variety
2 tablespoons, 30 ml, apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons, 30 ml, freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons, 30 ml, chili powder
1 tablespoon, 15 ml, yellow mustard, any brand
1 tablespoon 15 ml, ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon, 2 ml, kosher salt

Ready? Dice onion, garlic and pepper, reserve and set aside. In a 2-cup (500 ml) glass measuring cup, add ketchup, and all other ingredients, except the diced vegetables.

Left: Diced vegetables, and all of the other ingredients are in the glass mixing cup. Right: Cooking the sauce. It's ok to let a small amount of sauce burn, as it helps to add a hint of smoky flavor.

In cast iron frying pan, warm oil over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables to pan, saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add other ingredients to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, for about 30 minutes, stirring as needed.

Allow ingredients to cool. Puree in blender until all ingredients are mixed. Serve either at room temperature or cold.

If this recipe sounds like a lot of work, well it is, but the results are worth the effort. You won't find anything in a bottle that tastes like this, and while it is cooking, it makes your kitchen smell like a Texas barbecue joint.

This really isn't hard to make as the recipe implies. As stated, dice the veggies and set them aside. In your glass measuring cup, start with the ketchup, and just pour the rest inside. Use it to mix the ingredients so you don't get another dish dirty. Its a lot of fun to make your own barbecue sauce, and your taste buds and your guests will thank you for it. Of course, someone will marvel "What brand of sauce is that? It's soooo good!" and their jaws will drop when you tell them that you made it yourself, as nobody makes homemade barbecue sauce.

I like to whirl the mixture in the blender for only a few seconds, as I like the vegetables to be just a little bit "chunky." Of course, that's only a matter of personal preference, and if you like everything smooth and creamy, feel free to blend as long as you like.

Photo: Texas "Red Eye" barbecue sauce. Note that the blended vegetables are still a little "chunky."

This sauce goes well on barbecued beef, pork or sausage. I prefer to serve it on the side, Texas style, but you can baste your meat with it, during the last 10 minutes or so on the grill, if you prefer. There are no rules etched in stone in the art of barbecue!

Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...