Barbecue Sauce Prudhomme
Submitted by Phrozen
Prudhomme-style Cajun barbecue sauce with bacon, pecans, honey, citrus, and a triple-pepper seasoning blend. Simmered thick and blended for chicken, pork, or ribs.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
55 minA Louisiana-born barbecue sauce in the style of Paul Prudhomme, built from fried bacon, dark-browned onions, honey, roasted pecans, fresh citrus rinds, and a Cajun seasoning mix with three kinds of pepper. Simmered for nearly half an hour, then blended into a thick, textured sauce with serious depth.
The Cajun trinity of peppers drives the heat profile: black pepper for a sharp upfront bite, white pepper for a lingering back-of-the-throat warmth, and cayenne for straight fire. Layering all three creates complexity that a single pepper source can’t match. Onion powder and garlic powder round out the seasoning mix.
Frying half a pound of minced bacon until crisp, then cooking onions covered in that rendered fat until dark brown, builds the deepest possible flavor foundation. Those 8-10 minutes of covered cooking caramelize the onions without burning them, concentrating their sugars against the smoky bacon fat.
Orange and lemon rinds simmer in the sauce to infuse their essential oils, then get pulled out before blending. The citrus cuts through the honey’s sweetness and the bacon’s richness, keeping the sauce balanced rather than one-note. After cooling, a quick pulse in the blender breaks down the bacon and pecans into a fine, rustic texture.
Pro Tips
- Cool the sauce for a full 30 minutes before blending. Hot liquids expand in a sealed blender and can blow the lid off.
- Blend in short pulses, not continuously. You want finely chopped pecans and bacon, not a completely smooth puree.
- This sauce stores well. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze in ice cube trays for portion-sized servings.
- Pork stock gives the most authentic Louisiana flavor, but chicken or beef stock both work.
Variations
- Smoky chipotle: Add 2-3 minced chipotles in adobo with the chili sauce for a smoky, Mexican-Cajun fusion.
- Maple bourbon: Replace the honey with maple syrup and add a shot of bourbon for a deeper, woodsier sauce.
- Walnut version: Swap pecans for walnuts if that’s what you have. Slightly more bitter, but still excellent.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a 2-quart saucepan fry the bacon over high heat until crisp.
Stir in the onions, cover pan, and continue cooking until onions are dark brown, but not burned, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the seasoning mix and cook about 1 minute.
Add the stock, chili sauce, honey, pecans, orange juice, lemon juice, orange and lemon rinds and pulp, garlic, and Tobasco, stirring well.
Reduce heat to low; continue cooking about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove orange and lemon rinds.
Continue cooking and stirring about 15 minutes more to let the flavors marry.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Remove from heat.
Let cool about 30 minutes, then pour into a food processor or blender and process until pecans and bacon are finely chopped, about 10 to 15 seconds.
This sauce may be used to barbecue chicken, pork or ribs.
Makes about 5 Cups.
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