Chipotle Fig BBQ Sauce

Chipotle. Fig. BBQ Sauce. That is right, I have your sweet, spicy and tart sauce right here. I mean, if my husband is going to take 12-15 hours to smoke some brisket, I might as well have some bomb ass BBQ sauce to go with it. Am I right? Of course I am, I am always right. Okay, that in and of itself isn't "right" (aka correct at all), so I guess my argument really is a crappy one. This barbecue sauce, this right here, this is legit. I am not from the south, but I know good food, good flavors and how to make that shiz happen! You're welcome. You can thank me later. I accept gift cards to Target, Anthropologie and Nordstrom. I also accept wine and good cheese... oh yeah, sponsored content and legitimately awesome job offers. Cash works too.

Back to the sauce. Its 11 am here in Hawaii, and I am in the waiting room of my daughter's dentist office (emergency procedure + mom life = blogging at the dentist) . So when I say the sauce, I don't mean the bottle/ happy juice. That would be inappropriate. But if you are leisurely grilling and/or smoking and you want to sip on "the sauce" while making this sauce, have at it friend. In fact, take a picture and send it to me. I will momentarily dwell on the fact that people live lives of leisure, shed a tear and then move on since I don't have any time to waste crying over your down time that I am so seriously jealous of.

For real though Amy, barbecue sauce! Its like I am ADD or something. Squirrel.

B-A-R-B-E-Q-U-E S-A-U-C-E! Its good. I used smokey sea salt to really add another depth of flavor. But the fig yields its self perfectly to the spicy and smokey chipotle peppers. It also has beer. Who doesn't love a sauce with beer? I used apple cider vinegar as well as white vinegar and there is a heaping helping of brown sugar. Lets just say I have covered ever base that you could ever want in a sauce. The beautiful thing about making your own BBQ sauce is that it tastes better, for one. But it also lasts a solid amount of time in your refrigerator. It has a healthy amount of vinegar, so the acidity will aid in preserving it. The sugar also yields its self well to shelf life. I made a huge batch 2-3 months ago and I just ate some the other day. I seem to still be alive, as does my husband, so I think we are good to go. :)

Whether you are pulling pork, smoking brisket, grilling chicken, making a burger or trying out unconventional alternatives to shampoo, this bbq sauce is awesome sauce. (I would proceed with caution putting sticky stuff in your hair. But who am I to judge your life choices. Not all of mine are winners. Most, but not all.)

Lets get into it, shall we? This recipe will make roughly 4 cups. :) And if you have a lidded mason jar, then it will fit perfectly into your fridge for safe keeping. :)

Ingredients/Instructions:

2 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion

6-8 garlic cloves

5 oz of dried figs

12 oz beer (I used something hoppy for bite, but you can use a darker beer or an amber as well)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp Worcestershire

3 canned chipotle peppers

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3-4 tsp smoked salt (Regular will do, but I like the smokiness. I know liquid smoke is kinda "cheating",

but if you don't have smoked salt, add a drop or two of liquid smoke to taste. It is very potent.)

1. Melt butter in a medium/large sauce pot. Add minced garlic and chopped onions. Stir until garlic is browned and onions are translucent. (8-10 minutes on medium/low heat).

2. Add the dried figs, canned chipotle and beer and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Add vinegars, sugar, salt, honey, ketchup. Simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

4. Taste the sauce. If you want it to be less spicy, remove 1 or all of the chipotles, leaving the flavor in the sauce, but not making it too potent. If you like ti spicy, decided how many chipotles you want to blend in. Because that is what is next. :)

5. Transfer all ingredients to a blender, preferably a Vitamix, or something else that will make everything smooth and well blended. Puree until smooth and homogenous.

6. Return your blended mixture to the pot and continue to cook on low heat for an additional 20-30 minutes or so. (Or until it has reached the desired thickness... which, of course is a preference.

AAANNNDDDDD You're done. You can can it with a canning kit in smaller jars, or add it all to one 4 cup mason jar.