Another cool blog (not as cool as mine) . . . I love the art of the BBQ sauce . . . Sauce is KING – Legendary BBQ is the ONLY way to go:)

this is some interesting info:

Anatomy of a Barbecue Sauce

Now we’re going to talk about creating your own signature sauce. There’s no shame in starting with an existing recipe and modifying it to suite your own personal tastes. That’s how most sauces get their start (and mine below is no exception!). Listed below are the eight basic categories of ingredient “types,” each with a few examples to get you thinking:

• Base.Ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, etc.
• Sweet.Sugar of all kinds (granulated, cane, brown), honey, molasses, syrups (cane, corn, maple, rice, etc), jams/jellies.
• Sour.Vinegar (white, cider, wine, balsamic), lemon/lime juice, tamarind.
• Salt.Salt (kosher or sea), soy sauce, anchovy paste, capers.
• Heat.Hot sauce (Tabasco, etc.), fresh chili peppers, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, mustard.
• Aromatics.Onion (raw, sauteed, powder, flakes), garlic (ditto), celery (seed and salt), chili powder, herbs (fresh and dried: basil, bay, chives, mint, oregano, etc), spices (sweet: allspice, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, nutmeg; savory: caraway, cumin, paprika, mustard seed), liquid smoke, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce.
• Enrichers. Butter, oil, lard, bacon, meat drippings, beef broth, chicken broth. These kinds of things give your sauce a richer, more luxurious feel.
• Wild cards. Everything else. Coffee? Soda? Beer? Go nuts!

Here is a recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp brown sugar (sweet, light bitterness)
• 1 cup cider vinegar (sour, tart, fruity)
• 1/4 cup molasses (sweet, bitter)
• 1/4 cup honey (sweet, floral)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (aromatic, salty and sweet)
• 2 tbsp apple cider (sweet, adds a spicier apple flavor and helps thin out the ketchup base)
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke (aromatic, adds a nice smokey flavor)
• 1 tbsp steak sauce (aromatic, salty)
• 1 tbsp chili powder (aromatic, adds a bit of earthy heat)
• 3 tbsp apple butter (sweet, adds a smooth mouthfeel)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper (heat)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (aromatic, gives both a nice aroma and flavor)
• 1 tsp ground allspice (aromatic, a little pungent, works well with the apple flavors)
• 1 tsp ground cloves (aromatic, sweet, works well with the apple flavors)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (aromatic, sweet, spicy, works well with the apple flavors)
• 2 cups ketchup (base, sweet, sour)

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan.
2. Add all of the wet ingredients that aren’t ketchup.
3. Bring to a simmer and whisk until the dry stuff fully dissolves.
4. Add ketchup, bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat and let cook for 30 minutes. Stir often.
6. Enjoy. Congratulate yourself on a job well done.

http://itsmyingredient.com/2011/06/01/bbq-week-day-3-sauces/#more-792