Soulful BBQ Sauce

Creating a soulful BBQ sauce involves combining a variety of flavors to achieve a balance of sweetness, tanginess, smokiness, and just a hint of spice. Here's a simple and delicious recipe for a soulful BBQ sauce:

Ingredients:

-2 cups ketchup

-½ cup apple cider vinegar

-½ cup molasses

-¼ cup brown sugar

-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

-½ tablespoon soy sauce (good alternative use coconut aminos)

-1 teaspoon smoked paprika

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-1 teaspoon onion powder

-½ teaspoon black pepper

-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to your liking)

-½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional for extra smokiness)

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients over medium heat.

2. Whisk the mixture well to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low.

4. Simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, tanginess, or spice level according to your preference. You can add more brown sugar for sweetness, more vinegar for tanginess, or more cayenne pepper for heat.

6. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth.

7. Remove the sauce from heat and let it cool before transferring it to a jar or bottle.

This Soulful BBQ sauce can be used as a glaze for grilled meats, a dipping sauce, or a marinade. Store it in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will develop, making it even more soulful. Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and enjoy the rich and flavorful outcome!