Later On

My pepper sauces were so good that I’m now eyeing this recipe from Saveur:

Worcestershire Sauce

Makes about 1 pint

This delicious homemade version is bolder and bigger than its bottled cousin.

2 cups distilled white vinegar [I now use malt vinegar: see Wikipedia article]
1⁄2 cup molasses [I used Barbados rather than Blackstrap]
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup tamarind concentrate
3 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
3 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole cloves
1⁄2 tsp. curry powder
5 cardamom pods, smashed
4 chiles de árbol, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed [2? Are they kidding? I use 6-8. Large.]
1  1″ stick cinnamon
1 anchovy, chopped [I use 4-6.]
1 yellow onion, chopped
1  1⁄2″ piece ginger, peeled and crushed
1⁄2 cup sugar

1. Combine all ingredients except the sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan; boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat until it becomes dark amber and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add caramelized sugar to vinegar mixture and whisk to combine; cook sauce for 5 minutes; transfer sauce to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

3. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 weeks; strain to remove solids; return to jar. Refrigerate for up to 8 months.

I’m thinking that just before step 3 one could put this in a blender and pulverize some of the solids to make the sauce richer and thicker.

UPDATE: I’m definitely making this. I just checked my Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce label and I see that it’s made with high fructose corn syrup. Not for me, thanks. I’m trying to cut back.

UPDATE 2: I now make this regularly, using malt vinegar instead of white vinegar and upping the quantities of some ingredients (e.g., garlic, anchovies, chilis de árbol. Here’s an alternate recipe that takes a slightly different tack. Perhaps I’ll augment the Saveur recipe with a little horseradish and a Meyer lemon. Olive oil? I’m not so sure. But perhaps it adds a vehicle for the oil-based aromatics.