Recipe: Garden Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is the fundamental element of Garden Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Prepare this sauce while the pork is cooking.

Ingredinets:
30 Roma tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
I tbsp salt
1 ½ heads garlic (apx. 15-20 cloves)
2 fresh jalapeno de-stemmed and seeds removed (substitute any hot peppers like chilies or habaneros)
6 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground dried mustard
¼ Cup maple syrup (only use the real stuff- substitute with brown sugar)
One cup fresh whole basil (cleaned and de-stemmed)
¼ cup fresh whole oregano (cleaned and de-stemmed)
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven 500 degrees

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise. Prepare garlic, leaving cloves intact, but cleaned. Place tomatoes skin side down on foil lined baking sheet. Place garlic cloves around tomatoes on baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Roast in a 500 degree oven for apx. 1-1/2 hours depending on oven and tomato thickness. Check tomatoes approximately every 10 minutes after the first 45 minutes. When signs of brown toasted markings on tomatoes and garlic appear, remove from oven.

Allow tomatoes and garlic to cool. Add all remaining ingredients to cuisinart or blender and blend until smooth. Add blended tomato to caramelized onions on the stove and simmer for 20 minutes.

Caramelized Onions:
(Complete this step while tomatoes are roasting)

Ingredients:
2 large sweet onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp butter

Slice onions into thin strips. Heat 8 quart pot until very hot. Add butter and allow to melt most of the way. Add onions, sugar and salt, stir every 30 seconds over high heat until onions begin to brown and turn translucent, approximately 8-10 minutes. Onions will stick to the bottom of the pot a bit, and this is ok, it will aid the caramelization process. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until brown and caramelized, approximately 10 minutes.