Coke Cola, cherry juice, coffee and chipotle….All part of this easy-to-make and totally awesome BBQ sauce recipe that works great with any kind of meat or poultry. We’ve used it as a secret weapon to win a few friendly “rib-offs” and it’s perfect with pulled pork, chicken, grilled steak or as a slather on sandwich. The layers of sweet, spicy, smoky and zesty keep people guessing about what’s inside…and it gets better with age.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil – vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large shallot – diced
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- 1.5 cups ketchup
- 1 can Coca Cola
- 1/4 cup Black Cherry Juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chipotle en adobo from can (chop 1 pepper and use some of adobo sauce..we use Goya brand)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Texas Pete hot sauce (or your favorite)
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons Ultimate Dry Rub spice blend* (see below for rub recipe)
- The finished BBQ sauce…make a big batch and keep it in the fridge.
Directions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, can of Coke and black cherry juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until liquid starts to evaporate and sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the mustard, vinegar, chipotle chile with adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, coffee grounds, honey and spice blend and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 15 minutes or until thickened. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Use as is, or transfer to a blender (or use handheld immersion blender) to create a very smooth sauce. Let sauce rest overnight in the refrigerator to develop a more complex, layered flavor. Store in a squirt bottle or airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
- Dry Rub Ingredients
Ultimate Dry Rub – this is another all purpose blend we make in bulk and use all the time. It’s the perfect dry rub for chicken, ribs, pork loin, shoulder for pulled pork, steak, burgers and even grilled or roasted vegetables and it caramelizes and leaves a delicious crust on anything it touches. It’s sweet, spicy, smoky and salty all at once. Season liberally and let the dry rub do its work for a few minutes…or overnight….before cooking If you don’t have all the spices listed, eliminate or substitute. Mix together the following to make about 3 cups total:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup each – Kosher salt and dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Spanish paprika
- 2 tablespoons each – garlic powder, dry mustard powder, chipotle powder, ancho clili powder, chile powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon each – cinnamon, ground fennel seed, ground clove
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in an airtight container or buzz the whole batch in a spice or coffee grinder if you have one. Store in cool place for up to 3 months.
