# What the #$%& is this recipe for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877 "2011-07-31T01:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/1 "2011-07-31T01:00:30Z")
Help me solve a mystery, CafeDopers. I ran into a Post-It with a recipe in my own handwriting. I remember a long time ago a) looking up the recipe online ([AllRecipes](http://allrecipes.com)? probably?) and b) thinking “I \*really \*should label this” and then c) thinking “this is such a superawesome recipe! I’ll NEVER forget what it’s for! Wheeeee!” :smack: This whole episode would be well-drawn via [The Oatmeal](http://theoatmeal.com/). Anyway: what the blazes is this? I _think_ the results are simmered into a sauce… but I don’t know for sure? All I wrote down are the ingredients … which I guess means it’s not much of a “recipe.” smackysmackysmack - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 1/2 cup cider vinegar - 1/2 cup ketchup - 1/4 cup chili sauce - 1/4 cup W-shire sauce - 1 Tbs lemon juice - 2 Tbs chopped onion - 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder - 1 clove minced garlic ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/2 "2011-07-31T01:04:03Z")
Looks like barbecue sauce to me. 🙂 Put all the ingredients in a saucepot and simmer till it looks and smells good. Taste to confirm goodness. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/3 "2011-07-31T01:04:09Z")
Looks like a barbecue sauce to me. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/4 "2011-07-31T01:08:25Z")
Looks like barbecue sauce. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/5 "2011-07-31T01:19:52Z")
Yep. Looks like a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/6 "2011-07-31T01:24:48Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > Looks like barbecue sauce to me. 🙂 Put all the ingredients in a saucepot and simmer till it looks and smells good. Taste to confirm goodness. QFT. Really can’t be anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/7 "2011-07-31T01:28:03Z")
Peanut butter cookie recipe. Nah, it’s a BBQ sauce. Missing beer though. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/8 "2011-07-31T01:29:30Z")
I totally misread the OP and thought, what a god-awful oatmeal recipe. It’d make a good bbq sauce though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/9 "2011-07-31T01:40:48Z")
Now that we’ve resolved that. . . skip the mustard, use 1/2 cup tomato paste instead of the ketchup, and add dash of dried horseradish. Also 1/4 tsp turmeric will do amazing things, and two drops of dark sesame oil will make it richer. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/10 "2011-07-31T01:44:09Z")
I’ve never made BBQ sauce before so I didn’t recognize it, but I pegged it as a marinade as soon as I looked at it. Mix it up, toss some chicken in it overnight and throw it on the grill. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/11 "2011-07-31T02:25:09Z")
Wouldn’t grilling chicken with that sugary sauce on it burn before it was done? I say, grill till almost done, baste, and grill some more. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/12 "2011-07-31T02:47:12Z")
It’s too sugary for a marinade. It’ll burn for sure. Follow above directions: grill, baste, finish, add as needed at table. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/13 "2011-07-31T02:57:11Z")
Just to be contrary, or in case you’re thinking, “BBQ sauce? Hell, no, I wouldn’t write that down!” I’ll suggest an alternate: marinade (hang on a sec) for beef jerky. Since beef jerky isn’t grilled, the sugar won’t burn, but heck, that’d taste good! 😃 But yeah, it’s probably meant as BBQ sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/14 "2011-07-31T03:41:33Z")
Great, I read this thread and now I want some barbecued oatmeal. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/15 "2011-07-31T03:54:48Z")
My first thought was meatloaf sauce. My second thought was barbecue sauce. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/16 "2011-07-31T07:23:27Z")
It looks like a recipe for my Grandma’s BBQ Beef (or pork) sandwiches. Which was sort of BBQ for us without actually BBQ-ing. We’d just shred leftover Beef or Pork Roast and simmer it in a similar sauce and serve on Buns with pickles. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/17 "2011-07-31T10:41:55Z")
Now I want me some barbecue. Don’t have chili sauce, though…but that does sound tasty. Barbecue ribs, and some grilled corn, and cucumber salad. That’s what I want tonight. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/18 "2011-07-31T11:29:05Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > Looks like barbecue sauce to me. 🙂 Put all the ingredients in a saucepot and simmer till it looks and smells good. Taste to confirm goodness. That’s what it seems to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/19 "2011-07-31T21:16:06Z")
Can’t be barbecue sauce. It doesn’t have any coffee in it. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877/20 "2011-07-31T22:10:51Z")
Really, about the only thing this recipe is missing is maybe a hint of cloves for Old Fashioned Midwest BBQ slow cooked beef sandwiches. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-is-this-recipe-for/590877.md?page=2)