Recipe: Barbara Bush's Barbecue Sauce

BARBARA BUSH'S BARBECUE SAUCE
Source: Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses by Robb Walsh
Makes about 6 cups

By the George Bush SR. ERA, margarine was offered as an alternative to butter for health-conscious barbecue fans. Barbara Bush gave out a recipe card with barbecued chicken on one side and this barbecue sauce on the other during her White House years.

2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
1/3 cup yellow mustard
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 cups ketchup
6 to 8 tablespoons lemon juice
Cayenne to taste

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, butter, mustard, onions, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the onion is tender.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, and cayenne and simmer another 45 minutes.

Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks. Reheat before serving.