EASIEST BARBECUE BEEF AND SAUCE

For me, bottled bar-b-q sauce is too sweet, and indeed, the first ingredient on the label is usually high-fructose corn syrup, a no-no in my diet, plus modified corn starch and caramel color or flavoring (other names for MSG) along with hydrolyzed anything.

BARBECUE SAUCE (enough for 1-pound ground beef or use as a basting sauce for grilled meats)

one 8-ounce can Muir Glen organic tomato sauce

¼ cup worchestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon Wright's liquid smoke (never seen any other brand)

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon organic cane sugar

Mix and voila! As always, taste and tinker, if you like.

FOR THE BEEF

1-pound ground beef

one cup peeled chopped sweet onion

1. There is enough fat in the beef to put the beef and onion in a 10-inch pan, together. Don’t throw the entire pound in at once, instead, pull off  small chunks and add them to the pan.  Use low heat to get the red out of the meat, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Recipes always say “brown the meat” but what one wants to do is get the red out of it.

      2.  Pour in the sauce, reduce the heat to as low as you can.  I also use a “simmer-ring” 

           and tilt the lid of the pan. Cook for 30 minutes, checking and stirring every 10

           minutes.  Meat should be very tender.  If not, cook until it is.

4 servings

 Photos by Carol Guilford

Good on heated buns, nuked for 5 seconds, or with a side of organic, frozen corn heated with ½ tablespoon butter and a pinch of ground cumin. Trader Joe’s sells a can of non-genetically produced corn I like.