Oustanding with Pulled Pork
I found this recipe on another site a while back and it has been a hit everytime I have mixed it up - certainly making it in advance is a plus as it has a chance to really fuse the flavors. It does keep very well, and my wife bottles up a 3-4 Quarts when I make a new batch. This sauce is addictive, I have been caught sipping the sauce with a spoon...
Secret Sauce
This recipe was originally donated by Al Carson of Raleigh, North Carolina.
1 gallon apple cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) bottle ketchup
2 3/4 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
In a large stainless-steel pot over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until crushed red pepper sinks. Remove from heat.
It should be bottled hot, not boiling. Just hot enough that the bottles are hard to hold for more than a few seconds. Fill bottles within 1/2 inch of the top. By bottling hot, it will seal itself. Does not need refrigeration until after opening and then only to protect flavor.
NOTE: The sauce does not seem to have a problem with spoilage. I have used unopened bottles a year later and they have been very good. The sauce does get hotter with age.
If you like the sauce even hotter, add 1/4 cup of Tabasco before cooking.
