Introduction: Excellent A+ Homemade #1 Steak Sauce

Do you like steak sauce? I certainly do. I put on burgers, fries, sandwiches, Indian food, eggs, and even steaks! If you use steak sauce like I do you run into two big problems:

1: Running out
2: Paying exorbitant prices for it

Following this simple - and customizable - recipe, you can make your own steak sauce that is surprisingly similar, and possibly superior to those store-bought kinds. Plus, it's so much cheaper, you don't need to save it for special occasions.

What you'll need to make about 8oz of sauce: (You may already have it all!)
-6oz Tomato Ketchup/Catsup (I just use store brand)
-1.5oz Worcestershire sauce (again using the cheap brand here)
-Hot sauce to taste (Optional - I like Tabasco, but try whatever you like)
-8oz empty food-safe bottle (I suppose you could reuse a commercial steak sauce bottle)

Step 1: Start With the Ketchup

I mix this right in the bottle so it's easy and there's no cleanup, but you do sacrifice about 1/2oz of room in the bottle for shaking purposes. If you're making a big batch, filling lots of bottles, or just prefer to wash dishes, feel free to do all the combining/mixing in a bowl.

Add about 6oz of ketchup to the bottle. If you have one of the squeeze bottles of ketchup, this is easy. Just don't overfill - too much ketchup makes the whole thing taste like, well, ketchup.

Step 2: Add the Worcestershire

Vary the amount of Worcestershire depending on how sweet or flavorful you like your steak sauce. I find about 1.5oz (3/4 tbsp) is a good place to start. I'll generally err on the side of more Worcestershire and less ketchup, but I don't care for overly sweet sauce.

Use a funnel to save the countertop. If you try to use the bottle's built-in orifice reducer (the thing that makes it "spit" little bits out) then you'll make a mess and it will take forever. If you are using the "fancy" brands that have the orifice reducer stuck into the bottle, either pop it out with pliers or a fork, or consider filling a small dish/glass and then transferring into the narrow neck bottle.

Step 3: Spice It Up!

This is optional, but I really suggest that you add at least a few drops of a nice, spicy hot sauce. I like rather bold, spicy sauce, so I use a lot, but add this to taste. Remember, it's easier to add more later than to try to separate out the capsicum molecules later.

I like Tabasco hot sauce for this because it can add a good deal of heat without adding too much more acidity from vinegar. Sriracha and chili paste also work great, but I suspect that if you like the flavor of the hot sauce, you'll like it in the steak sauce.

Step 4: Fire Up the Grill!

Now, put the lid on tight and shake really, really well (you left some room like I mentioned in step 1, right?) and you have your very own, customized, home-made steak sauce! Try it out and then modify the recipe as you like for future batches. One of the reasons I keep it to 8oz at a time (apart from helping to limit my overall steak sauce consumption) is that this is so easy to make, and so fun to experiment with, that I like to make it often.

Some suggestions:

-Add a clove of very finely chopped garlic
-Substitute a generous amount of black pepper for the hot sauce
-Dilute with water and use as a marinade
-Look over your spices and try adding some of what you like - but if you use powdered spices, leave it in the fridge for a day before you pass judgement or use it
-Print your own labels and impress your friends at your next BBQ

Be sure to keep it refrigerated as most ketchups will tell you to do so, and since this is mostly ketchup, it's probably a good idea.