[Sandman...]

With so many fantastic bottled sauces on the market, only idiots continue to do them laboriously from scratch.
Well ... I am happy to be called an idiot.
Yes those bottled sauces are better than ever but there is something special about doing it all from scratch.
Without question, the VERY best sauce I ever tasted was in the hills of Tennessee and it was made by my friend and neighbor Roger Estes. He never gave up a single ingredient but he said that there were lots of them. It tasted the same every time and he worked behind closed doors all day to do it and he never gave up even one ingredient. He smugly sent me packing back to Canada with that status unchanged.
I worked for years trying to duplicate that taste and I almost got it.
It is all about the remarkable layering of flavors.
Formulas starting in the T's (for Tennessee) began back in 1994.
The C - formulas ( for Canada ) began in 1996.
This one is worth trying and it took me years to develop.
Just ... if you try this, be real sneaky about it.
It will make friends and family mental, and they will love this taste sensation.

FORMULA C-8

1 1/2 C ketchup
1/2 C bottled french salad dressing
2 x 1/4 c Durkees / Franks Hot sauce
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c worchestershire
1 tbsp liq. smoke
1 tbsp garlic pdr
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp chili pdr
1 tbsp onion pdr
2 x 1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c black coffee
1/4 c prepared yellow mustard
1/4 c molases
1 tbsp cajun spice ( Zatarains preferred )
2 tbsp paprika
4 crushed dry chili's ( cayenes preferred )
3 lg cloves garlic - minced

Combine the whole sheebang in a heavy bottomed stock pot
except for 1/4 c each of Durkee's and cider vinegar.
Reduce on low for 2hrs, stirring every 15 min.
1/2 hr before it's done, add reserved 1/4 c Durkees
At the very end, add reserved 1/4 c cider vinegar.
Use as you would any sauce and be prepared to love this