Memphis-Style BBQ Sauce

(With heavy influence from the work of Bill and Cheryl Jamison)
Smoked butter 2 Tbsp
Yellow onion, minced 1/3 cup
Garlic, minced 3 cloves
Cider vinegar 1 cup
Tomato sauce 1 cup
Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbsp
Dark brown sugar 1 Tbsp
Smoked salt 1 ½ tsp
Black pepper, ground ½ tsp
Smoked paprika 1 tsp
Chili Negro, dried, seeded, stemmed, finely ground ½ ea.
Hot Sauce (I use Marie Sharps) 1-2 dashes

1) Sautee the onions and garlic in the smoked butter until translucent.

2) Add all of the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently.

For the Vegan variation:

Substitute vegetable or canola oil for the smoked butter. Substitute 2 Tbsp vegetable stock, 1 more Tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp ground ginger, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon for the Worcestershire sauce.