Easy dinner recipes: Three weekend barbecue sauce ideas

If you love outdoor cooking there’s nothing like spending quality time over a hot grill, whether you’re grilling steaks or chicken, or slow-cooking brisket or ribs. But often it’s that signature touch -- a thoughtfully honed sauce -- that takes your creation to a whole new level.

And while you can certainly find some great sauces out there on the market, there’s nothing like a homemade sauce, specially thought out suit your tastes and expectations.

Believe it or not, barbecue sauces aren’t that hard to make, and they can dress up almost anything you brush them on, meat or not. Slather some on chicken or a rack of ribs before they come off the grill, perhaps brush a little on your skewers right before they’re done, or serve a bowl alongside thinly sliced steak. Dab a touch of sauce on portabello mushrooms -- coating your vegetarian dish with rich “meaty” notes -- and your carnivorous friends might never guess.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

Check out the recipes below for three different barbecue sauces: a slightly sweet Kentucky bourbon sauce, a Southwestern sauce with a hint of spice and earthy coffee, and a roasted cherry sauce. They may look intimidating at first, but the technique is simple and they come together in an hour or less. Best of all? Make them ahead of time -- they only get better with age -- ready to use at the last minute when you want to add the finishing touch to your creation.
Check out this story on homemade barbecue sauce, and continue reading below for each of the recipes.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

KENTUCKY BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE

1 large onion, thinly sliced, top to bottom

6 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon, divided

2 cups Kentucky bourbon

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 cup tomato paste

4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup liquid smoke

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, or other vinegar-based hot sauce

2 dashes bitters

1. In a heavy-bottom 4-quart pot, combine the onion, garlic, lemon zest and bourbon. Bring the bourbon to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the lemon juice, pepper, chile powder, mustard, onion powder, salt, tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, pineapple juice, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, Tabasco and bitters and continue to gently simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.

3. Remove from heat and purée the sauce until fairly smooth, using an immersion blender or blending in stages in a stand blender. Place the sauce in a nonreactive container and set aside until it comes to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed. Warm the sauce before using.

SOUTHWESTERN BARBECUE SAUCE

1 large onion, thinly sliced, top to bottom

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 jalapeños, seeded and diced

2 poblano or pasilla chiles, seeded and diced

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1 beer, preferably ale

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups ketchup

1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B

1/4 cup molasses

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon New Mexico chile powder

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1. In a heavy-bottom 4-quart pot, combine the onion, garlic, jalapeños and chiles with the coffee and beer. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, maple syrup, molasses, cumin, salt, chile powder and red wine vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and blend the sauce using an immersion blender or in stages in a stand blender, until fairly smooth. Set aside.

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