Tennessee Whiskey Barbeque Sauce

This Tennessee Whiskey Barbeque Sauce will make an incredible addition to your next backyard cookout. With a base of charred poblano and onion, this sauce is spicy, sweet and savory all in one. Put this on your next meatloaf, pork chop or rack of ribs to add a unique, Southern-inspired flair. For the plant-based folks, this can also be made vegan with a vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute, making it a great dipping sauce for potatoes, asparagus, and many other vegetables. 

1 small sweet onion
1 poblano pepper
5 cloves garlic
½ cup Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp adobo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

Remove the exterior skin from the onion. Fire up the grill. When it's hot and ready, toss the whole poblano and onion on. If you do not have access to a grill, this step can be done under a low broil instead. Just be sure to keep an eye on it so you don't burn the ingredients. 

Let the poblano and onion char, turning every so often to allow for even charring. You want the skin of the poblano to be completely black, and you want the onion to begin to caramelize on the outer layers while retaining a raw interior. 

Remove the poblano and onion from the grill. Pull at the charred skin on the poblano and the membrane should begin to tear away from the pepper. Remove all of the membrane and roughly chop the pepper and the onion. Peel the garlic and add to a food processor along with the charred poblano, onion and Tennessee Whiskey. 

Puree until the consistency is just shy of smooth, as you want a little texture in the sauce. 

Combine the pureed mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan. 

Bring to a boil, then drop it down to a simmer to begin reducing the sauce. Reduce for 30-45 minutes until the alcohol has cooked out and the sauce has thickened to your preference. 

Creator: Hawley Young