Maple Bourbon Apple Barbecue .

By BobLongo

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable, canola, or olive oil is fine)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 apples, peeled, cored, & chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider (or apple juice)
• 1 cup bourbon (or substitute more cider/juice)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Preparation

Step 1

Cook time: 60 mins
Total time: 1 hour 45 mins
Serves: sauce makes about 7 cups

1. Add oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and apple and cook about 5-7 minutes or until apples and onions are soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Add vinegar, cider (or juice), bourbon, and tomatoes with liquid to pot. Stir to combine. Stir in salt, garlic powder, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice until combined.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 30-60 minutes or until reduced. Use an immersion blender to blend (or you can use a blender. SEE NOTES BELOW). Stir in maple syrup and liquid smoke to your liking. Cool completely and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight.

Notes
SNAPPY TIPS: I like to use real maple syrup. Start off with just 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke then add more based on your personal preference. I used the apples I had on hand which would be 2 granny smith and 1 fuji, but any good cooking apple would be fine. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but you can cut it in half if you want less, or make the full recipe and freeze the rest. If you baste the ribs with the sauce too soon, they will burn, so be sure to baste only during the last couple of minutes. If you use a blender to smooth the sauce, be sure to leave part of the lid off the blender if the liquid is hot and to process in small batches. I highly suggest an immersion blender.

SNAPPY SUBSTITUTIONS: If you have apple pie spice on hand, you could use that instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. You could substitute cider/juice for the bourbon.