My favorite time of year. A good barbecue sauce works with beef, pork or chicken, and isn't a lot of work. The quantities here will do 4-6 pieces of meat with some for the table. Multiply at will.
1/2 stick of butter
6 oz. can tomato paste, two paste cans water
about 1 tbs. each garlic powder and tarragon
hot pepper sauce (i.e., Tabasco, Louisiana hot sauce, etc.)
Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Blend in paste and water, add spices and a dozen dashes of hot sauce, or to taste if you must. Bring to a simmer for five minutes. For pork and chicken, I put the meat in a bowl, pour the sauce over it and cover; this will start cooking the meat, so you don't have to grill it black to make sure it's done. For beef, I lay it on a rack in a baking pan, brush on the sauce and put it in the fridge. Either way, let it sit for a couple of hours before grilling; enjoy a cocktail and the ballgame.
Origin of "barbecue"
I heard this story in San Juan:
The Arawak natives of the Caribbean had a method of weaving branches to make beds, and a smaller version they used to cook meat slowly over hot coals in pits. The Spanish conquerors enjoyed it so much, they carried the technique home and to other parts of the New World. Their word for the woven grate was "barbacoa."
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