Audrey's Best Barbeque Sauce in the World

I served my mother's beef barbeque sandwiches - also known where I live as "Sloppy Joes" - at a neighborhood gathering recently. People commented immediately that the sandwiches were unlike any they'd ever tasted. Too often Sloppy Joe can mean a glorified ground beef and ketchup sandwich.

"This recipe is different because of the horseradish," I said.

"No, it's more than that," someone said.

I told them the other ingredients and we deduced that the recipe is a classic German thing - combining sweet and sour, like German potato salad. Mum was 100 percent German-American, so it all figures.

I have no idea where Mum got the recipe, and there's no email to heaven that I know of, so I can't ask her. I'll share the recipe here and promise you that it's the best one you'll ever taste. Mum's directions indicate chicken but I've only made the recipe with ground beef. YUM!!



HINT: Use FRESH, smallish buns for the Sloppy Joe sandwiches. Include spoons because no one will want to waste a bit of the meat.

Audrey Grenier's Barbeque Sauce

This is enough sauce for 2 chickens, 2 lbs. ground beef, or 2 lbs. ribs.

1 large onion, chopped
2 T oil
1 c catsup
1 c water
3 T vinegar
3 T brown sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t paprika
1 T horseradish

Brown chicken pieces in small amount of oil. Meanwhile, simmer slowly the onions in oil, till soft but not brown. Add all other ingredients and simmer 10 min. Layer chicken in Dutch oven or roaster. Pour sauce over. Bake covered 300 - 325 degrees for 2 hours.