Pat: My brother Tony has a terrific palate, and his true genius is in having developed the right "tempo" for our barbecue sauce—and, boy oh boy, he never lets us forget it! This recipe, which includes Neely's Barbecue Seasoning and eleven other ingredients, became one of the keys to our success as restauranteurs. Now it can be the base of your own kitchen success.

　　Memphis Barbecue sauce is known for its sweet and tangy tomato base. Ours keeps true to that tradition, striking a perfect balance between the sweet (we use brown and white sugar), the tangy (cider vinegar), and the tomato base (good ole ketchup!). Any self respecting Memphis pit master will tell you that the sauce must complement the meat without overpowering it, and ours does just that.

　　At the restaurant we simmer the sauce for five hours, and we always taste the blend before cooking it, making sure we've got all the ingredients working. Over the years, we've learned that if it tastes good before it cooks, it's gonna be outstanding after a long, slow simmer. The end result: an insanely thick, rich, and sweet sauce, and the perfect adornment for any rack anywhere.

Ingredients

　　2 cups ketchup

　　1 cup water

　　1/4 cup light-brown sugar

　　1/4 cup granulated sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

　　1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

　　1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

　　1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar

　　2 tablespoons light corn syrup

　　1 tablespoon Neely's Barbecue Seasoning

　　Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot or a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce the temperature to very low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, cool, and use as needed. Stored in a tightly sealed container, this sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 2 months.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Note: We never salt our Barbecue Sauce because of the sodium content in the ketchup and because other ingredients like onion powder and Worcestershire sauce provide so much flavor. Since our sauce is mostly used on grilled items (that are seasoned) and combined with other foods (like Barbecue Spaghetti and Molasses-Baked Beans), we don't want to end up with food that is too salty. So we err on the side of slightly under seasoning this sauce (although believe me, no one ever says that it lacks flavor). If your taste buds yearn for a little more salt, you can season the sauce—at the end of the cooking time—as you please.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.