Southern Cue Sauce

A thin, sharp, Worcestershire-heavy mop sauce of the old Southern school, closer to a basting liquid than to the thick sweet sauces sold today. It goes together in about half an hour on the stovetop.

• The tomatoRead the first line as 2 1/2 cups of chopped fresh tomato, or one can in its place; note that 2 1/2 cups is nearer a large can than the standard 14.5 oz one, so measure rather than assume. Peeled fresh tomatoes will need a few extra minutes to break down.
• Chop fine, not roughThe onion and garlic stay in the finished sauce; nothing strains or purees them. Mince both finely so the sauce coats meat rather than sliding off it.
• A half cup of WorcestershireThat is not a misprint. It is a great deal of salt and anchovy, so hold back on the salt until the sauce has simmered and reduced.
• Cook the vegetables firstSweat the onion and garlic in the butter with the sugar until tender before the liquids go in. Adding the vinegar early slows the onion's softening and can leave it firm.
• Simmer to marryAfter the catsup, Worcestershire and vinegar go in, give it 15 to 20 minutes at a bare simmer. Straight from the pan the vinegar is raw and dominant; the sauce needs that time to settle.
• Seasoning to taste"A little mustard" most likely means dry mustard powder, though prepared mustard is possible; if using powder, start with a teaspoon. Cayenne wants a scant quarter teaspoon; it will bloom as the sauce sits.
• Yield and useRoughly a quart. Brush it on pork shoulder or ribs during the last half hour of cooking only, since the sugar and catsup will scorch over a long fire, and serve the rest warm at the table.
• The chitterlings noteChitterlings are pork intestine and need thorough cleaning and long boiling before any sauce comes near them. Treat that closing line as a serving suggestion, not a method.