Pantry Preserving: Beer and Bacon BBQ Sauce

This week marks the first ever Texas Barbecue Week!  So, I thought in honor of this very delicious week, I would share a sauce that I created based on inspiration from Lady Behind the Curtain and Picture Perfect Meals.  This sauce combines two of our favorite things: bacon and beer!  I used Rahr and Sons Texas Red Amber Lager for this recipe, but you could use any amber beer.  Or experiment with other beer varieties for a little bit different flavor.

Beer and Bacon BBQ Sauce

• 8 oz Texas 1015 onion, or any other sweet yellow onion variety
• 2 oz bacon grease
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 12 oz Rahr and Sons Texas Red, or any other amber beer
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 Tbs paprika
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

If you don’t already have bacon grease on hand (I usually save some to refrigerate after making bacon for breakfast), fry up 3-4 pieces of bacon.  Reserve two ounces of bacon grease and save the bacon for later use (or eat as one of the perks of being the cook!).

Using a dutch oven or other large pot, saute onion in the bacon grease.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until translucent.

Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and paprika to the onion mixture and cook for 1 minutes.

Pour in beer, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard.

Bring to a boil.  Once at a steady boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Turn off heat.  Utilize the immersion blender and mix until smooth.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Ladle the sauce into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space.  Remove any air bubbles if necessary.  Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.

Process the jars for 20 minutes in boiling water bath.