Chicago's Original Leon's BBQ sauce remake.......

[Mbloto]

I grew up in Chicago and while serving as a Police Officer there, fell in love with The Original Leon’s Bar-B-Que. Spent many a Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving Day dinner eating rib tips covered with a sweet yet tangy sauce. I see Meathead mentions the place in his article on Chicago Barbecue.

Leon’s is still in operation but I moved away from the city when I retired and really missed that wonderful sauce. The recipe is a Leon’s trade secret but in 1982 the Chicago Tribune test kitchen did their best to duplicate it. Below is their recipe. Found it a good starting point to make my own "signature" sauce.

1 cup catsup

9 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

8 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons steak sauce

1/2 teaspoon each: seasoned salt, hickory smoked salt

Hot pepper sauce to taste

[Chuck in Charlotte]

Thanks. I like this since it's a basic recipe that doesn't have 20 different ingredients. The many-ingredient ones are good, but sometimes fast is better than good. I may start with this and add a bit of tamarind paste and call it my own.

[Mbloto]

Your most welcome. After adding a couple of ingredients and changing another I have a sauce I really like.