Kansas City Barbecue Sauce Recipe

May 25, 2012 12:01 pm

A tomato-based barbecue sauce with actual tomatoes

By Jess Kapadia

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Real barbecue sauce is found on the stove (and stays there for a while).

After a week of brewing up condiment-based sauces — not that we don't love ketchup and mustard with all our hearts — I thought I'd take classic American barbecue sauce recipe back to its pre-squeeze bottle roots: the actual tomato. Kansas City-style barbecue sauce isn't swirled together in a little bowl at the last minute, it's slow-cooked to bring out the flavors of the onions and tomatoes. Exceptionally tasty brushed on a rack of ribs during the last few minutes of cooking, this is a sauce that's impressive to make at home and, without a doubt, worth the extra effort.

More barbecue sauces from Food Republic:

Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and saute the onions for 7-10 minutes until completely soft and golden-brown.
Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow to cool completely, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Level of Difficulty:

Easy

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cooking Time:

1 hour

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