Nut-Free BBQ Sauce

Food has always been an integral part of my life. I recall many events by the foods I ate, who prepared it and the strong feelings associated with it. In my life, I view only two people as truly great cooks: my late maternal grandmother and my mother-in-law.

One of my biggest regrets (to date) was not to meticulously jot down all the recipes my grandmother lovingly made. I have always thought she would live on forever but God had other plans. Though she passed away more than 7 years ago, I can still vividly recall most of the dishes she made, how they tasted and her beaming pride when I proclaimed "This is my favorite dish, grandma".

Since my grandmother's passing, I have been on a mission to record more family recipes. I want to be remembered by the food I make.

My mother-in-law makes delicious foods which have a special place in my heart and stomach. I have been spoiled by my mother-in-law's fantastic culinary skills for 12 years. I constantly tell her how much I love her food, and her humble reply is always "I just throw things together". Honestly, I think it takes some finesse and skill since I follow her recipes and they just never taste quite as good as hers.

This BBQ sauce recipe is from my mother-in-law. You can use this BBQ sauce on chicken or ribs. My mother-in-law uses this BBQ sauce on her oven baked ribs.

Yields: Enough sauce for 3 to 3-1/2 lb pork ribs

Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins which contains anchovies)
1/2 cup white vinegar

Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients into a medium saucepan.

2. Over medium heat, simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened (consistency of ketchup). Stir frequently to ensure the sauce does not burn.

ALLERGEN ALERT (Fish and Mustard): 

• I used Lea & Perrins Worcestershire which contains anchovies. 
• This recipe also contains dry mustard. For those who are allergic to dry mustard, you can omit it from the recipe.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom