A thick, spicy-sweet sauce based on Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue, Austin, TX
Yield: Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
4 oz tomato sauce
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2½ cups ketchup

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
3. Add the following ingredients, stirring to combine:
[ ] sugar, [ ] chili powder, [ ] paprika, [ ] pepper, [ ] salt, [ ] oregano,
[ ] vinegar, [ ] mustard, [ ] tomato sauce, [ ] tomatoes, and [ ] ketchup
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat. Allow to cool on stove top for 30 minutes.
6. Blend until smooth (about 5 minutes). Stores, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

This sauce is good on any BBQ meat, but particularly good on our Smoked Ribs Like Lambert’s, a copycat recipe Lea developed, which incorporates a 3-4 hour smoke after 12-14 hours of fruity brining. We also determined that Lambert’s smokes their meats using Post Oak at about 250 degrees F. This combination is SO good, it has become our favorite “go to” recipe for friends and family.