Yields 1 quart
1 pound bacon, whole strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 chile, diced large (see Chef’s Tips on chiles, this page)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup whiskey
4 cups ketchup
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 tablespoons whole chipotles with sauce
½ cup brown sugar
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Render bacon over a low flame in a deep sauce pot until almost crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve to cool. Place onions in the bottom of the sauce pot with the bacon fat. Sauté until soft and caramelized. Add chile and sweat with the caramelized onions. Add garlic, and deglaze the pan with whiskey. Simmer and reduce by half. Add ketchup, honey, liquid smoke, chipotle, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt, and stir. Chop the bacon and return to the pot. Puree and blend until a smooth consistency is reached. Simmer on a low flame and stir frequently until a thick consistency is reached.