Homemade Memphis BBQ Sauce {Playing With Fire Cookbook}

Love a good BBQ? Me too! Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of Playing With Fire AND is providing a prize pack for one of my lucky readers! All opinions and photos of my recipe recreation are my own. Amazon affiliate links are included.

The weather is finally starting to feel like spring, and I can’t wait for BBQ season to be here in full magnificence. There’s nothing quite like hot, flavorful barbecue.

I’ve spent the last week drooling over the recipes in Michael Symon’s new cookbook, Playing With Fire. The recipes are easy to follow, the dishes flavorfully delicious, and the photos are stunning. I want to make EVERYTHING.

I decided to start simply and recreate the recipe for Memphis BBQ Sauce (along with a side of Broccoli Salad). The sauce was a hit with the entire family, and a perfect addition to some grilled chicken. The recipe is included below, along with a fabulous giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

About MICHAEL SYMON’S PLAYING WITH FIRE

Co-host of The Chew and celebrated Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon returns to a favorite subject, meat, with his first cookbook focused on barbecue and live-fire grilling, with over 70 recipes inspired by his newest restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, in his hometown of Cleveland. In preparing to open his barbecue restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, Michael Symon enthusiastically sampled smoked meat from across America.

The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City–to name just a few–as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides.

If you are looking for a new guide to classic American barbecue with the volume turned to high, look no further.

Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group. In stores now…or buy it on Amazon today!

About the Author

Michael Symon cooks with soul, having grown up in a Greek and Sicilian family. The Cleveland native shares his exuberant, approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers as an Iron Chef on Food Network and as a co-host on ABC’s The Chew. Michael is the chef and owner of more than 18 restaurants, including Lola and Mabel’s BBQ in downtown Cleveland, locals of B-Spot Burgers throughout the Midwest, and Angeline at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. He is also the author of five cookbooks, including Playing With Fire (Clarkson Potter, 2018). When he’s not working, Michael loves cooking at home, playing golf, gardening in the backyard and spending time with his wife Liz and their bulldog Ozzy.

Memphis BBQ Sauce

Reprinted from Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire. Copyright © 2018 by Michael Symon. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

This sauce is perfect for any grilled meats, but is especially tasty on grilled chicken!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, halved and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions

1. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, celery seeds, and red pepper flakes, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend or puree until smooth. Stir in the vinegar.

2. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

**Baste grilled foods with sauce only during the final stages of grilling to prevent the sugars in the sauce from burning.

Note from our family: we found that the sauce was even tastier the 2nd day!

Interested in the recipe for the broccoli salad that is pictured here? That can be found on page 210 of Playing With Fire! The sauce is made with plain Greek yogurt and is simply delicious!

Connect with Playing With Fire

• Buy Playing With Fire on Amazon
• Hashtag #PlayingWithFireCookbook
• Follow Clarkson Potter on Instagram
  Follow Michael Symon on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
• Learn more about the book at PenguinRandomHouse.com

TOOLS FOR THE GRILLMASTER Giveaway

Be prepared to play with fire! One winner from Food Fun Family will receive:

• Copy of Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire
• A Cuisinart Deluxe 20-piece grill set
• And a barbecue pit mitt glove!

ARV $110 | Giveaway open to US addresses only | Prizing and samples provided by Clarkson Potter | Giveaway ends 4/25 at 11:59pm ET

© 2018, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

About Lolli

Lolli has written 3741 post in this blog.

I became a mom in 1996, and in 2005 I had my fifth. Yes, 5 kids. In 2007, this blog was born (my 6th baby that will never grow up) and I've been sharing recipes, photography tricks, parenting tips, and everything in between. (Formerly Better in Bulk)

• View all posts by Lolli →
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook