Honey Pepper BBQ Sauce

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped (leave the seeds in for a spicier sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 3/4 cups cider vinegar, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup 7UP or Sprite, or more as needed
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, or more to taste
• 2 tbsp apple juice
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

1. Pour the honey into a nonreactive saucepan. Add the peppers, onion, and jalapeno and sauté over medium heat until the peppers are soft and the onion translucent.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored (15 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth.
3. Correct the seasoning, add salt, vinegar, or brown sugar if needed; the sauce should be sweet, smoky, and tangy. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little more 7UP. Use right away or transfer to a large jar, cover, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for several months.

Makes 2 cups.

• Steven Raichlen, Barbecue! Bible (2000), p. 140