Author Notes
This is my mother's recipe. The ingredients are written down in the back of an old cookbook - without measurements. Use my measurements as a guideline. Feel free to add more sweetness (brown sugar or ketchup) or spice (jalapenos or Tabasco) to make it the way you like it. Use this sauce to baste meat on the grill or in the smoker and then serve it alongside the meat when it is done. —Waverly
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1
large yellow onion, finely chopped
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2
jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
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3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
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1 1/4 cups
ketchup
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1 cup
beer, any kind you like
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1 tablespoon
yellow mustard
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3 tablespoons
brown sugar
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3 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce
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1 tablespoon
prepared horseradish
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2 tablespoons
lemon juice
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2 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
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1 teaspoon
hickory flavored liquid smoke
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1 teaspoon
Tabasco, add more to taste
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4
thin slices of lemon
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1/4 teaspoon
dried thyme
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salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
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SAUTE: In a large deep-sided skillet, heat the olive oil over MEDIUM heat. When it is hot, add the onion and jalapenos and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
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BOIL/SIMMER: Add the ketchup, beer, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire, horseradish, lemon juice, vinegar, Tabasco, and liquid smoke. Stir over HIGH heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to LOW. Add the lemon slices, dried thyme, and salt and pepper and simmer until the flavors meld and the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, and levels of heat and sweet. Use sauce to baste and then to serve over grilled chicken, beef or pork.
Waverly used to be a lawyer and is now a mother 24/7. She has made a commitment to cooking for her family and absolutely loves it even when her family does not. She is teaching them, one meal at a time, to enjoy wholesome homemade food. She abhors processed food but recognizes its insidious nature and accepts the fact that her children will occasionally get some Skittles, Doritos, or the like. Her philosophy and hope is that if she teaches them well at home, they will prefer wholesome healthy foods when they go out into the world without her.
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