Barbecue Sauce (Chef Paul Prudhomme)

1. In a large sauce pot render the bacon on low to medium heat until it is lightly browned all over. Add the bacon fat or drippings and onions (see notes) and continue cooking until the onions begin to brown. Add in the garlic, pepper, clove, allspice and coriander and cook for one minute. Add the brown sugar and molasses and simmer for one hour (see notes).

2. Add the vinegar, chipotles and ham hocks, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the volume is reduced by half.

3. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire and slowly simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally (see notes). Strain.

Note (added by Tony from notes taken while watching Reed make this sauce):

1. Drippings from a smoked brisket can (should?) be used in place of or in addition to the bacon fat.

2. Use white onions if possible instead of yellow onions.

3. Use a vinegar that will complement whatever beverage you're serving: malt vinegar with beer, wine vinegar with wine, cider vinegar with hard cider, and so on.

4. Have the butcher split the bones. They should be added to the bacon while rendering. Reed also added the garlic cloves to the bacon while rendering to roast the garlic.

5. Simmering the sauce in step 1 is done to kill the sweetness.

6. Simmering times in step 3 are a minimum; overnight is better.

7. "Barbecue" is Reed's spelling, not mine!