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Although history is a little unclear as to when barbecue sauce began, it's more likely than not that the first time meat was grilled over a wood fire, barbecue sauce was born. Many food historians say the name barbecue comes from the Spanish word "barbacoa," roughly translated as "a wooden rack on which meat is roasted over flames." The first commercial barbecue sauce became available in 1948. Don't fear creating your own delicious sauce for your barbecue meats. Homemade barbecue sauce is easy to make with the right ingredients and the perfect barbecue sauce recipe.

The Basics
Barbecue sauce is a sweet, savory, spicy or mild sauce or marinade used to flavor or marinate grilled meats, fish, seafood or vegetables. The food is then cooked over charcoal, hardwood or a gas fire. Alternatively, the food may be smoked over a hardwood fire with barbecue sauce served on the side as a condiment. Barbecue sauce can be tomato-based, vinegar-based, mustard-based or mayonnaise-based. Some gourmet barbecue sauces may also contain ingredients including mango, jalapenos, pineapple, pomegranate molasses, apricot, vidalia onions, bourbon, chili peppers and liqueur.

Basic Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe

• 1 cup ketchup or chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or 1/8 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ -½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder