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One day, in 2009, we were served barbecue chicken from the cafeteria, and I didnโ€™t like the sauce they gave us.

I started making my own barbecue sauce in my cell, and then moved to making it in the kitchen. The correctional officers (COโ€™s) really liked it. One COโ€™s wife liked it so much, she wouldnโ€™t eat any other barbecue sauce.

Photo of a spoon dripping barbecue sauce into a jar

Barbecue Sauce

Rodney | San Quentin State Prison
I started making my own barbecue sauce in my cell, and then moved to making it in the kitchen.
Servings 1 ยผ cups

Ingredients
  

  • ยพ cup ketchup
  • 2 cups pineapple juice not from concentrate
  • ยฝ to ยพ cup brown sugar
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoons powdered beef bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • Bring the ketchup and pineapple juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • ย Whisk in the brown sugar, beef bouillon, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper.
  • Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has reduced by about half, about two hours. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
  • Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

  • The amount of sugar in this sauce is based on your preference - but note that as the sauce cooks down, the sugars will concentrate and it will become sweeter, so use caution.

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