the great southern barbecue debate evokes about as much passion as roe v wade, and even plays out in our household with mr. lusher having grown up in the western part of north carolina, and me a bit more to the east.

barbecue is a noun (not a verb, adjective, or event) describing  pulled or chopped slow cooked pork, topped with a slightly spicy, vinegar based sauce.  amen.

mr. lusher will argue in favor of thicker, tomato based sauce. but guess who writes the blog?

but, this sauce right here comes from a land far, far away from barbecue country altogether, a biker barbecue joint in western new york actually.

and you know what?  it’s damn good.

add it to your arsenal & you’ll never have a reason to buy that sickeningly sweet, high fructose corn syrup & ketchup in a bottle again.  promise.

from the dinosaur bar-b-que cookbook

(MAKES 6-7 CUPS)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
2-3 habanero peppers, seeded & minced (if you’re feeling sassy)
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 (28oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup (heinz is really the only way to go)
1 cup water
3/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, well packed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground

1.  heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  add the onions, green peppers, jalapeno, habaneros (if using) and season with a little bit of salt & pepper.  cook, stirring often, until soft & golden.  add the garlic and cook for about a minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic.

2.  add all the other ingredients.  bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  simmer for 10 minutes.  let sauce cool,then put it to good use!

{all purpose red spice rubbed smoked pork shoulder with mutha sauce}