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#256 The Case of BBQ Sauce

I didn't grow up eating plant-based meals so I suppose it's inevitable that I would feel nostalgic for a few, special, meat-based entrées from childhood. I'm thinking meatloaf.
 
I've tried and tried to make a good vegan meatloaf and failed over and over. This BBQ Sauce really saved the day because I can fry up some Beyond Burgers—divided in two and rolled into balls—for 4 min., turning regularly, sauce them up, serve them with Mashed Potatoes and get all the comfort feels.

Sometimes, I don't even can this sauce. I make half the recipe, pair it with 6 Beyond Burgers, turned into Neatballs as above, and serve 4 happy people 3 deliciously sauced Neatballs each.
 
12 lbs tomatoes, cored, cut with a cross on their bottom, blanched for 30 seconds or until their skin starts to peel away, dropped in an ice-water bath, then peeled and chopped
3 cups onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup bourbon or whisky
2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chilli pepper flakes
2 tablespoons salt 

Simmer the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a large pot for 30 min. or until the vegetables are very soft.
 
Working in batches, blend the vegetables until fairly smooth.
 
Return the tomato mixture to the pot, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened and darker in colour, 1-1/2 - 2 hours (3/4 - 1 hour for a half batch).
 
In the meantime, wash 2-cup canning jars and lids in hot, soapy water and dry.

Place the jars, upright, in a cold oven and heat to 225ºF. Leave for 30 min.

Boil the lids and a knife for 5 min. in a canner filled to 3-1/2".

Drop in new caps, ladle, funnel and the ends of a pair of tongs. 

When the sauce is ready, pick the funnel out of the canner with the tongs. Using the ladle and funnel, fill the hot, sterilized jars set on a tea towel or rag, leaving about 1/2" head space.

Remove air bubbles by drawing the knife in and out of the jars, at the edges and in the centres. If necessary, wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth.

Cap.

Add the filled and capped jars to the canner of warm water—a specialized metal rack will prevent jars from rattling on the bottom of the canner and avoid cracking. Add more hot water to cover the jars by at least 1". Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Processing time begins the moment the water reaches a rolling boil. Boil vigorously, adding more boiling water if necessary.

Process for 20 min.

Turn off the heat, remove the cover and let sit for 5 min. then, with tongs, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool for 24 hours away from drafts. Do not tighten the lids.

When cool, tighten the lids. The caps should curve inward. Wipe the jars with a damp cloth, and dry them.

Makes 8-12 cups.
 
Becki

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