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homemade BBQ sauce

6 Adults + 4 Kids Under 1 Roof

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A couple weeks ago, we had a house full of visitors from out of town. One of the couples lives in Abilene, Texas, and took five days off to come hang out in Nashville. They have a son who is almost two. You may remember my posts about our trip to see them last August, when we visited Fort Phantom Hill and the prairie dog habitat.

The other couple lives only a few hours away and stayed for two of the five days. They have a four-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son.

Having a house full of 10 people was chaotic, but we had a wonderful time. Little Buddy loved having other kids to play with, and it was fun to see them interact. The oldest was really sweet to him and the other boys and even sang a song (unprompted) for one of them when he was upset. All three of the kids kept wanting to rub Little Buddy’s soft baby hair.

Little Buddy was the only child who couldn’t walk, but he tooled around in his walker and kept up with the big kids. He’s really good at maneuvering it around our furniture and even looks behind him when moving backwards.

Our house has three small bedrooms, so each family had a room to themselves. We don’t have a dining room, and we only have four chairs (plus a stool and a step ladder) at our kitchen table, so half the group ate inside and the others ate on our patio table.

Everyone was laid back and easygoing, so our time together was very smooth. Even when I completely botched one of our dinners. I announced the night before that I was planning to make honey barbecue chicken drumsticks, and they were all really excited about the meal. Well, in my muddled, mom-brain mind, I was thinking honey mustard chicken, even though I said honey barbecue.

I marinaded the meat overnight and didn’t realize my mistake until the next day, right before I was about to turn on the oven. It turns out that most of our guests don’t like mustard, so that wasn’t going to work. Thankfully, I was able to save the meal by washing the marinade off and baking the drumsticks in my homemade BBQ sauce.

We spent most of the time at our house playing games and eating, but we did venture to the 12 South neighborhood of Nashville to grab donuts and burgers.

Mr. Handsome has never understood why I have three strollers for one child, although I have tried to explain it to him. (One is for jogging, one is a compact stroller to keep in the car and take into stores and restaurants, and one is a larger stroller that reclines and has space for Little Buddy to stretch out and play.) All the moms I talk to are in agreement that all three are needed, and since two were gifts and one was purchased used for $40, they didn’t break the bank. When our friends came to town, our three strollers suddenly became a lifesaver, and Mr Handsome was glad that we had them. The extra highchair that a neighbor gave us, as well as the older kid toys that I found for dirt cheap at consignment sales also came in handy.

Homemade BBQ Sauce #1

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In Tennessee, BBQ is king. Everyone knows someone who has participated in a BBQ competition, and most folks can whip up decent BBQ. (And if they can’t, their mama can.)

When out-of-state friends come to visit and ask us to take them to the best BBQ joint in town, they are always shocked when we tell them that there are over a dozen to choose from, and most have multiple locations throughout the city and surrounding towns.

While Mr. Handsome and I enjoy going out for BBQ, we also enjoy staying in for BBQ. A couple years ago, I began perfecting the art of cooking BBQ beef brisket and BBQ ribs. But what’s a good BBQ meat recipe without a good BBQ sauce recipe? Useless, that’s what it is.

I alternate between two BBQ sauce recipes. Here’s one of them:

Homemade BBQ Sauce #1

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a saucepan, and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Sauce can be simmered until ready to use. Store cooled leftovers in the fridge. (I use a glass Trader Joe’s olive oil container to store mine.)

Simple BBQ Brisket Recipe

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I absolutely love BBQ brisket. I tried it for the first time a few years ago at a restaurant called Famous Dave’s, I have been hooked ever since.

Nashville, Tennessee, has many award-winning BBQ joints that we enjoy visiting. While we were out to eat last spring, both Mr. Handsome and I agreed that it would be fun to try our hand at homemade BBQ beef brisket. 

 The meat is expensive (usually $20-$25 for 4 pounds) so we have only made it a handful of times. It takes a few hours to cook, but the prep is a cinch. Here’s the recipe, as well as a few photos of the process.

Print

Simple BBQ Beef Brisket

Ingredients

  • Brisket roast approximately 4 pounds
  • Several slices of uncooked bacon

Homemade BBQ sauce*

  • 1-1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard optional

Instructions

  1. Remove all packaging from brisket roast. Place fat side down in an oven safe, non-glass pan that can hold juices that will accumulate. I use a 9x13-inch pan.

  2. Combine dry spices in a small bowl. Using a fork, poke holes in brisket, and rub the entire roast with spice rub.

  3. Place uncooked bacon strips over brisket, side-by-side. If you have additional bacon slices, you can also place one layer of bacon under the roast. (Bacon is expensive, so I don't usually do that.)

  4. Tightly cover pan with foil, and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Remove from oven, and flip brisket over so the fat side is facing up.

  5. Return to oven, covered with foil, for an additional hour. Brisket roasts can be finicky, so it helps if you have had BBQ brisket at a restaurant and have seen how it looks when it is fully cooked. The size and thickness of the brisket roast also affects cooking time.

  6. When hour is up, move from oven, and cut into brisket with a knife. Meat should be fork tender. Return to oven if necessary.

  7. Transfer to a cutting board, and slice. Serve with homemade BBQ sauce. If you find yourself with an overcooked brisket, just add extra BBQ sauce!

Recipe Notes

I use the same Homemade Honey BBQ recipe that I make with my Buffalo Wild Wings Style Wings. Here is the link to that recipe: www.nashvillewife.com/2016/02/buffalo-wild-wings-style-wings.html

Buffalo Wild Wings Style Wings

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Did you watch the Super Bowl? We did! Although we don’t have TV service, we recently purchased a $50 antenna that picks up a decent number of news and sports networks. Mr. Handsome’s two brothers and one of their girlfriends were visiting for the weekend, so we all watched together.

For the majority of the evening, I was in the kitchen making honey-BBQ and Parmesan-garlic chicken wings. Our kitchen and living room are attached, so I was able to catch all the good commercials (and some of the actual game).

Mr. Handsome and I made these chicken wings for friends and family during last year’s Super Bowl, and they were a big hit. They taste almost identical to the wings served at Buffalo Wild Wings. I just have to share the recipe with you all!

Buffalo Wild Wings Style Chicken Wings  
Honey-BBQ/Parmesan-Garlic

The first step is to prepare the Parmesan-garlic sauce, as it is easiest to use when chilled in the refrigerator for several hours. (If you are crunched for time, I recommend just throwing it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.)

Peel 4 medium-sized garlic cloves (or 2 large cloves), and coat with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake at 350 in an oven-safe dish (either in a regular oven or a convection oven) until garlic cloves are light brown (approximately 20-25 minutes).

After garlic cloves are cooled, mince them.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine garlic with the following ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonaise
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 teaspoons powdered Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chill until cold (up to several hours).

When the Parmesan-garlic sauce has finished chilling, it’s time to make the homemade honey-BBQ sauce. (My husband is a huge fan of Sweet Baby Rays, but he likes this sauce even better.)

In a large saucepan, combine the following:

1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Stir well to combine, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Fill your deep-fryer (or a medium-sized saucepan) with oil (I use vegetable oil), and heat. To check if it’s ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface of the oil. If it sizzles, you’re all set.

While the oil is heating, you’ll want to make the batter. Combine the following in a medium-sized bowl:

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I use crushed red pepper)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Cut 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, beat 1 egg into 1 cup milk.

Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture…

…And then coat it with the flour mixture. (Dip it back into the egg mixture, and coat it with flour a second time.)

Add the battered chicken pieces to your hot oil. I encourage you to use a splatter screen to prevent injury. Only fry as many at a time as can be fully submerged in the oil.

 

Fry each batch until chicken is thoroughly cooked and moderately browned (approximately 5-10 minutes).

 

Smother fried chicken pieces with either honey-BBQ sauce or Parmesan garlic sauce, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Blog Chef