Grandpa's BBQ sauce
My grandfather finished his career as a maintenance supervisor for a paper mill, but started his career as a professional chef. He had owned a restaurant at some point, and created a great number of recipes, including some that we've been trying to reproduce for years. Here's one of his "house" recipies that was probably used in many other dishes.
2 cup catsup (no HFCS, it didn't exist at the time!)
1 cup water
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp brown sugar (heaping or level depending on how sweet you want it.)
2 tbsp horseradish (probably ground fresh, we're not sure.)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp chili powder
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (I suggest a sweet onion)
1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Simmer until thick and veggies are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving. Stores in the fridge for a few days.
While I don't have one, you may want to use a food processor to cut the vegetables. Don't turn them into paste.