"A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow."

So, ever since Martha Stewart has taken over my soul I feel it necessary to give gifts that make one's belly happy! And for a man, this in-turn makes his heart happy. This year for Father's Day Shaun and I made our dad's (John and Dan), my grandfather (Clark), and Shaun's brother-in-law (Josh) homemade BBQ Sauce. The total time for preparation and cooking was about 2 hours, so this is quite the commitment. Keep in mind that we took this recipe and multiplied it by 8. This allowed us to fill 4 large mason jars and 4 small ones. The four small ones were given to other fathers and friends, for fun! (We also kept one ourselves that we later cooked with.)

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce

For 6 servings, you will need:

• 1 slice bacon
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup Sriracha
1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• red pepper flakes (to your discretion for heat)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove the bacon and thyme bunches and let the sauce cool (just enough until you put in the refrigerator). If you are using it with meat right away I suggest use half to cook the meat in and save half to poor over the meat once it is cooked. This truly is a great sauce, enjoy!