Finally at home with a few minutes to spare to get down my "first attempt" recipe. Mind you, the cumin is gonna make it not taste like Woody's! But it's what I used, and the sauce is good, so it's what I'm putting down here. I'm still working on the tamarind issue for the second effort.

In the meantime, here's the recipe for the first.

To get the appropriate amounts for the basics, like Mr. Graber I closely followed the order in which the ingredients appear on the Woody's label. (Exception: I've reversed the positions of vinegar and oil. Mine must have less oil than the original -- or possibly I've used more vinegar than Woody's has, but if so, I bet that the vinegar the company used has way higher acidity than what I can get at the store.)

Then, for the flavorings, I concentrated on flavors that were popular mid 20th c., when I first started enjoying Woody's. The only exception is the powdered chipotle...but I figured its clean, smoky heat would be ideal and, besides, I didn't have any cayenne handy!


Claire's Woody's Knockoff #1: Woody's a la Wild Wild West

(note: ounce measurements are by volume, not weight)

18 oz. (2-1/4 c.) water
18 oz. (2-1/4 c.) tomato paste
10 oz. (1-1/4 c.) canola oil
9 oz. (1-1/8 c.) distilled vinegar
9 oz. (1-1/8 c.) cider vinegar
4 oz. (1/2 c.) Stubb's hickory seasoning
3.5 oz. (7/16 c.) Wright's Liquid Smoke, hickory flavor
3 oz. (3/8 c.) cumin
2 oz. (1/4 c.) paprika
2 oz. (1/4 c.) black pepper
2 oz. (1/4 c.) sugar, caramelized to medium-dark brown
1-1/2 oz. (3/16 c.) salt
1 oz. (1/8 c.) instant coffee (I used Medaglia d'Oro)
4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. powdered chipotle pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 bay leaves

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring often to remelt the sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Makes about a half gallon, so have a big barbeque!

Cheers,
Claire