With Labor Day around the corner, take time to enjoy a summer barbecue while the weather is still pleasantly warm and the days are long. Barbecuing is a cherished summer tradition and part of the fun is that it can be customized to your own style and tastes. As long as food is cooked and eaten outside and shared with others – almost anything goes. Barbecues can take place in a backyard, park, beach, parking lot or rooftop.
An essential part of any successful barbecue is the sauce and our favorite is Honey BBQ Sauce. It’s delicious, easy to make, and combines the best of both worlds: sweet and savory. Honey BBQ Sauce can be used as a marinade or glaze for meats and poultry, slathered over baked beans, or as a sauce to smother pulled chicken or pork.
Honey is truly the star in this recipe, infusing it with a rich, silky flavor that is 100% delicious.
Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe:
2 cups Ketchup
2/3 cup Bee America Pioneer Honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Juice from 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Several lemon slices
Directions:
In a saucepan, add the ketchup, honey, butter, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer and add toss in the lemon slices. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemon slices. Cool and store in glass Mason jars for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Variations:
There are countless recipes out there for barbecue sauce and anyone serious about the BBQ has their own favorite sauce complete with a top secret recipe. Don’t let that intimidate you. You can easily modify this recipe and make it your own special sauce by experimenting with the following ingredients.
Brown sugar - sweeter
Apple cider vinegar – more sour
Mustard/paprika/cayenne – spicier
Molasses – stickier
Garlic powder/onion powder – more savory
More About the Honey:
Pioneer Honey is an artisanal honey that is robust enough to stand up to the heat of the barbecue while imbuing a husky sweetness to any grilled meat or seafood entrée. For the month of August, order any three, 12 oz jars of Bee America honey and receive a free gift of a 3-oz jar of Pioneer Honey from our American Heritage Collection.
