OK fine!
Here is the base recipe I use for my BBQ sauce... it's not just tarted up ketchup which a lot of so call ed "made from scratch" recipes are. I got this one from Emeril Lagasse when he was on the air. It's a great base for making just as published or modifying to your liking. I like making it sweeter and hotter so I adjust accordingly. Sometimes I add guava paste or a half inch of anchovy paste (comes in a little tube) and once I even made it with orange juice replacing half the sugar (boiled it down...not a successful experiment).
Homemade Barbecue Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
In a medium non-reactive saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the butter and, when melted, add the onions and cook until they are very soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, Essence, ground mustard, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to brown. Add the water, cider vinegar, and dark brown sugar, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have come together, about 15 to 20 minutes.
The trick is to make sure you cook the paste for a while and NEVER stop stirring that paste until you add the water... you have to watch it very carefully and it can't sit in the pan for even a second or it will scorch and get bitter.
Also the times are way off... it takes longer than 4 minutes to get the onions really soft, for example and at least 5 minutes to brown the tomato paste... what you'll notice is a slight darkening of the paste and a switch to a sweeter aroma.. then you're ready to add the liquids and sugar.