by Lisa Fillers

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: February 17, 2009

Your choice of barbecue sauce can make or break any recipe you attempt to make. In commercially prepared barbecue sauces, each have their own unique flavors as do homemade versions. When dining out, steakhouses will often bring as many as six flavors of barbecue sauces to the table. This is because people are as unique as the sauces are and we each have our own taste preference. It can take years of trial and error to perfect the barbecue sauce that best suits your taste preference and needs.

The following barbecue sauce recipe makes excellent barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken, and barbecued party style wings. It is very simple to prepare and tastes a lot like Sweet Baby James served in steakhouses.

BARBECUE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Cups ketchup

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 Cup honey

1/3 Cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

* Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl in the order listed. Stir well until ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

* If using for ribs, bake the ribs in a pan covered in aluminum foil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to within 30 minutes of being done. Remove from oven and pour the sauce over the ribs. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 30 minutes.

* If using to barbecue chicken, place the chicken, breast side down, in a covered baker or roaster and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the majority of fat drippings have gathered in the bottom of the baker or roaster. Remove the chicken from the oven and drain off the fat drippings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and return the covered baker or roaster to the oven until the chicken is done.

* If using for party style wings, pour half the recipe into a jar with a lid and refrigerate for future use. Coat the wings in flour and deep fry. Drain them on paper toweling. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Dip each wing piece in the sauce and allow the excess to drain off. Place on the foil lined pan and repeat until all wing pieces have been dipped. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.

* You can also use this barbecue sauce for basting on an outdoor grill. Let your meat cook slightly beyond the halfway point of being done. Begin basting and continue basting and turning until the meat has finished cooking.

I feel sure you, your family, and guests will truly love the flavor this barbecue sauce imparts to your entree. For a totally unique outdoor grilling sauce, try the following recipe designed for use with chicken. It is unlike any barbecue sauce you have ever tasted and is specifically a basting sauce. Most of it burns away during cooking, imparting only the wonderful flavors of the spices and vinegar to the chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup apple cider vinegar

4 teaspoons salt

1/8 pound (or 1/2 stick) of butter or margarine

4 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

* Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

* Bring saucepan to a medium heat and warm the ingredients. Stir well and continue warming until the butter or margarine has melted and all ingredients are well combined. Do not boil!

* Allow chicken to become halfway done on the grill before you begin basting in this mixture. Continue basting and turning the chicken until it is done. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined platter to serve.

This is an exceptionally tasty chicken recipe and goes well with baked beans, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob.

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