Dreaming in Meta

During my time in Iowa so far, I’ve come across quite a few culinary delights, among them Niman Ranch pork, New York Times favorite La Quercia Prosciutto, and Templeton Rye Whiskey. Lately I’ve been thinking about making a Templeton Rye-based Barbeque Sauce, similar to Maker’s Mark sauce, but my own special version with a couple key ingredients: Templeton Rye, and Penzeys Spices’ Chili 9000 spice mix.

If you’re a Whiskey fan like me, chances are you already know about Templeton Rye, a Prohibition-Era recipe Rye Whiskey made in Templeton, Iowa. If not, you should — it’s a small batch Whiskey that’s been getting a lot of press as of late. Its storied history even finds the late Al Capone among its fans. It’s a full-bodied, wonderful Whiskey with a clean finish that doesn’t burn going down.

Using the same Prohibition-Era recipe, T-Rye is hand-crafted by master distillers and aged in charred, new oak barrels. Each bottle is hand-labeled with batch number, bottle number, and bottling date, adding a nice touch to a classic-looking bottle.

Don’t take my word for it, though; The Beverage Testing Institute gave it 89 Points: “Deep amber copper color. Dense and intense aromas of cinnamon bark, mincemeat, cashew butter, milk chocolate, and peppery spice. A soft, silky entry leads to a dryish medium-to-full body of creamy vanilla custard, cola nut, spicy caramelized nuts, and honeyed rye toast flavors. Finishes with a long sweet grain, peppery spice, and white ash fade. A fun, flavorful rye.”

Currently, Templeton Rye is only sold in Iowa and Illinois, but Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago is accepting online orders.

Now, the other key ingredient: Penzeys Spices’ Chili 9000 mix. According to their website, Chili 9000 is “The chili of tomorrow boldly going where no chili has gone before. Great chili flavor with a bright modern twist - salt free too!” I recently purchased some and tried it with Chicken Fajitas, with great results. It adds plenty of flavor depth and a spicy kick to anything that calls for a spicy seasoning.

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Templeton Rye Barbecue Sauce

1/2 Vidalia Onion, minced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 cup Templeton Rye
2 cups Ketchup
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper (Penzeys’ Four Peppercorn Blend works well)
1/2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1/3 cup Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Penzeys Chili 9000 mix (adjust to personal taste)

In a large skillet with medium head, combine Templeton Rye, garlic and onion. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce the sauce, then strain if you want a smooth sauce.

This recipe is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Unported license.