This is a bold, spicy, smoky BBQ sauce when you taste it on its own, but it evens out nicely when applied to tofu or mushrooms.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
¼ cup chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons Tennessee whiskey
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 to 4 ounces chipotle peppers from a can (about ½ can)
½ cup water
1 (24-ounce) bottle of organic ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and start to sweat the onion and garlic. Use a wooden spoon to keep the mixture moving so as not to burn the garlic. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper. Deglaze the pan with the whiskey, and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, chipotle peppers, water, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and liquid smoke. Simmer uncovered for an hour, and stir occasionally to keep the sauce from scorching.
You need only 1 cup of sauce for the BBQ Tofu, but this sauce freezes well.
Makes 6 cups.