Beerbecue Sauce

This is a homemade BBQ sauce with a very complex blend of spices akin to a dark mole. I used some techniques I learned from America's Test Kitchen's Quick Tomato Sauce recipe to sweeten the sauce naturally with yellow onion and crushed tomatoes, rather than add a bunch of brown sugar like most recipes. Great on ribs, burgers, etc.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 2-3 cups

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 yellow onion, minced
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  chipotle peppers, in adobo chopped
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 2  teaspoons chili powder
• 1  teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 1  teaspoon ground mustard
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12  fluid ounces stout beer, stronger the better
• 1⁄4 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2  tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1  cup crushed tomatoes
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
•  mirin, to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on high heat.
2. When butter foams, add onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until onions begin to brown.
3. Add all dry spices and stir until blended into a thick paste, about 30 seconds.
4. Deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping up any brown bits of aromatics on the pan.
5. Add molasses, vinegar, liquid smoke and crushed tomatoes, then stir until evenly incorporated. Make sure molasses doesn't stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.
6. Simmer the sauce for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the texture is thick like barbecue sauce.
7. Add olive oil and sweeten with mirin, to taste. I probably only use a few teaspoons of mirin, but if you like it sweeter you could go heavier.
8. Move to a blender or food processor for about 1 minute until the sauce is smooth. Tastes great fresh, but will taste better after 1-2 days.
9. NOTE: This sauce could also be used as a braising liquid for roasts, brisket, short ribs, etc. Instead of thickened the sauce, add it to a roasting pan with the browned meat and slow-cook for hours until fork tender.