Chile-Spiked Barbecue Sauce

• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2. 1 medium onion, chopped
3. 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
4. 1/4 cup bourbon
5. 1/2 cup cider vinegar
6. 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
7. 1 1/2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, stemmed
8. 3/4 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
9. 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
10. 1/2 bay leaf
11. Pinch of ground allspice
12. 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
13. 3/4 cup chili sauce
14. 1/2 cup canned plum tomatoes
15. Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the bourbon and simmer for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chipotle chiles, mustard, ancho chile powder, bay leaf and allspice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock, chili sauce and tomatoes, cover partially and cook over low heat until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let cool. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.