This recipe is Deacon Hubbard’s Wheat Street Mop from my Gracious Plenty cookbook. I came across it while looking for a good spicy Memphis style barbecue sauce I could make myself in the absence of decent sauces during our time out in California. For the uninitiated, be sure you don’t confuse a mop with a marinade or a table sauce. This is only to be “mopped” on while your meat is on the grill or smoker. It’s kind of like basting a turkey in the oven but not using the meat’s own drippings. If you find you’re a big fan of the mop, you can find a mop grill utensil at some stores that will help you be generous with the sauce, the way Deacon Hubbard would have wanted. This is great on ribs and turns a smoked pork loin into an unforgettable event. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the Worcestershire sauce and margarine in a small saucepan.
2. Simmer over medium-high heat until the margarine is melted.
3. Add the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, water, ground black pepper, paprika, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil. Careful, the fumes are strong.
5. Remove from the heat and use warm as a basting sauce.