Root Beer BBQ Sauce

Before we get to the amazing recipe pictured above (think ribs, bbq chicken, kabobs, a sauce for burgers…) I wanted to take a second and say thanks!

Brittany’s Pantry is all about sharing with you my most successful recipes.  I created this blog so that my friends and family had access to all the foods and dishes that I had been making over and over with considerable success.  Wether it is a family recipe that I have been making for years, something I have created on my own, or a recipe that I found in a magazine at the dentist office.  The point is, if I am making it over and over, then it was worthy of passing along to those I am closest to.

The blog has now grown into something SO much bigger than just an online resource for people I know, and I am thrilled that so many of you continue to come back and see what I have been cooking.  I am excited about some of the changes coming up for BP and hope that all of you lovely readers will continue to Tweet, Pin, Follow, Like, Subscribe, and comment here and on other social media outlets!  I love love LOVE to hear from all of you and have enjoyed connecting with other readers and bloggers that are just as passionate about food, cooking, and baking as I am.  I promise to continue to post only that which I would feed you if you were a guest in my home; tried and true dishes that I know work for me and will work for you too.  So thank you for your support and continued visits to my little piece of the internet.  I love to write on this space almost as much as I like to be in the kitchen and YOU allow me to do it.

Ok.  Enough mushy stuff.  Bring on the barbecue sauce!

As we head into the holiday weekend, I couldn’t help but make sure this was posted for you.  I saw this recipe, and then kinda started to drool.  Root Beer is not a beverage I drink because it is just waaaay too sweet for me.  But as an ingredient in a savory sauce on meat???  Shyah!!  Once I tried it though, the flavor wasn’t quite what I expected.  Or wanted.  I made it the first time years ago, served it at my sons birthday party and wrote briefly about it here.  Years passed and I kept reminding myself to go back and tweak that recipe because I really wanted a finished, perfect version that I could freeze and use year round.  Well, actually, what I really wanted was for someone else to mess with the recipe for me so that I didn’t have to do it.  I wanted the result without the work.  For some reason, it took three years for me to get back into the groove of making that particular barbecue sauce, and this past spring, I was ready.

I remade it according to the notes I had (thankfully) marked on the original recipe, and again, knew at first taste that it wasn’t what I was after.  Don’t get me wrong here.  It was really good.  Better than good.  It was great!  And smeared all over a rack of pork ribs that were so tender a slight breeze would make the meat drop off the bones, it was outstanding.  But I wanted something to change.

It took several more days and more grilled meat, but I figured out what was bothering me so much.  Too much tang, not enough richness.  For you, it doesn’t really matter.  Just know that this is the best version of this there is.  For me, anyway.  *sigh*  I feel so much better.
Three Years Ago: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit
This sauce will keep about two weeks, tightly sealed in the fridge.  You can also freeze it and use it all summer.  It would make an AWESOME hostess gift to a barbecue or pot luck dinner and is so tasty I imagine you can find some great uses for it!  For us, we love it the most on ribs and grilled chicken, but smeared on a burger (especially venison-yuuuuummm) or just a bit on a pizza and then covered with caramelized onions is fabulous.  It also happens to be just so darn easy, you won’t believe it.

1 c root beer
1 c ketchup
1/4 c orange juice
3 T worcestershire sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T molasses
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and set over medium heat.  Simmer gently, lowering the heat if needed to prevent scorching, until combined and reduced until thickened a bit.    Sauce will also thicken as it cools.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Enjoy!  Seal and chill or freeze.