Cola barbecue sauce

Makes about 1½ cups

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup cola (reserved from cola can chicken)

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons A.1. sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

Coarse kosher or sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cola, raise the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.

2. Add the ketchup, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, A.1., liquid smoke and pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and more pepper, if necessary.

3. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let return to room temperature or warm over medium heat before serving.

Source: Recipes excerpted from “Beer-Can Chicken: Foolproof Recipes for the Crispiest, Crackliest, Smokiest, Most Succulent Birds You’ve Ever Tasted (Revised)” by Steven Raichlen