I made this sauce last week to put over meatballs and it was a big hit at my book club! I could drink this it was so yummy! The meatballs were precooked and I put it all in my slow cooker for a few hours. It’s a little spicy but you can adjust to your preference.
3 teaspoon bacon grease (or fat rendered from 2 pieces of bacon)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
6 oz can of tomato paste
12 oz can Diet Dr Pepper (or coke zero, whatever)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Finely chop onions and sauté in the bacon fat at medium-low heat for 20 minutes. This should caramelize of the onions to give your BBQ sauce some extra distinct flavor as well as bit more sweetness.
Add grated or chopped garlic and cook for 3 more minutes
Pour in Diet Dr Pepper to deglaze the pan and add remaining ingredients and whisk well.
Cook on low heat for at least 30 minutes
Use your immersion blender to blend everything together
This should give you about 2 cups of BBQ sauce, which should be good in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.