Farmers Market Barbecue Sauce

A BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich with Sweet Potato Strings.  The beef is bathed in Farmer's Market Barbecue Sauce!

This sauce is so named because it was developed as a part of the BBQ Beef Brisket that was sold by the pound at our Farmers Market Booth in South Bend, IN.  It was a huge seller, particularly popular during football season.  This is a complex sauce with quite a few ingredients, but it is well worth making. (While I am content with the sauce as is, it can be made spicier to suite your heat-loving taste by adding more or different peppers, and leaving the seeds and membranes in the peppers.  Additional cayenne or hot sauce will up the heat quotient, as well.)  After tasting the brisket, a new customer exclaimed, "Honey, you've got soul!"  Enough said.

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chili sauce

3 cups ketchup

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon minced Jalapeno, with or without seeds and membranes, hotter with

1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Frank's or Tabasco)

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (I use Tony's)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until the vegetables are soft.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring up to a simmer and allow to cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator, or proceed with the recipe for BBQ Beef Brisket.

Sauce will keep for about a month in the refrigerator

Caramel Dip

Carmel for Dipping!

Nothing quite compares to the flavor of crispy, sweet apples dipped in caramel in the fall!  But, they are really difficult to eat, and half of a caramel apple is probably the ideal portion.  To make enjoying those awesome flavors easier let's turn it all into a an easy-to-eat dip.  The base of this dip is Caramel Candy (click on the link in the recipe), and the surprise ingredient is a bit of sour cream to balance all of the sweet going on in this recipe! Use your imagination; try dipping mini cookies, pears, chocolate, nuts or marshmallows in addition to apples. This dip deserves a place at your next tailgate or autumn get-together!

12 ounces Caramel Candy cut into small pieces (in a pinch you can use purchased caramel candies)

2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put about an inch or two of water in the bottom of a medium saucepan or double-boiler and bring the water to a simmer.  Place a bowl or the top of the double-boiler over the pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water in the saucepan) and add the caramel, butter, and heavy cream.  Allow everything to warm, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is completely melted; stir until well-combined.

Off the heat add the sour cream and vanilla and whisk until completely smooth.  Allow to cool before serving.  Serve with apple slices.

Refrigerate leftovers, and warm or allow to come to room temperature before serving.