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2. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and molasses and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to a medium saucepan over high heat, add the maple syrup, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. The sauce will keep, stored in a tightly sealed container, in the refrigerator for 1 week.

VARIATION

BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE

Makes about 3 cups

Bring 2 cups bourbon to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced by half to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in ½ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened and the sugar melts, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature. Add to Bar Americain Barbecue Sauce when you add the maple syrup.

HABANERO-MANGO HOT SAUCE

I sometimes use this full-flavored hot sauce to spice up my Crab-Coconut Cocktail. It is also wonderful drizzled over raw oysters and clams and is one of the sauces served with the raw bar selections at Bar Americain. You must use really ripe mangoes for the best possible flavor. Also, it is extremely important to be very careful when handling the habanero. We use plastic gloves when working with these super-hot chiles, but whatever you do, make sure to keep your hands away from your face (especially your eyes!) until they are absolutely clean.

Makes 2 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 habanero chile, halved and seeded

1 cup rice wine vinegar

Kosher salt

1 to 2 tablespoons honey, depending on the sweetness of the mangoes

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the mangoes, habanero, and ½ cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mangoes are very soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the vinegar and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and honey to taste. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons water. Strain the mixture through a strainer set over a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature. The sauce can be made 1 week in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.

GREEN CHILE SAUCE

This sauce is wonderful served on its own, but paired with Red Chile Sauce and served with eggs (Blue Corn Fried Eggs) or fish or pork or chicken, it becomes known as Christmas. Why? Christmas is known for its red and green colors! In New Mexico restaurant lingo (Sante Fe to be exact), Christmas means a plate of half-red and half-green chile sauces. The New Mexico terminology has spread to some other states in the Southwest, such as Arizona and Texas.

Makes about 1¼ cups

7 tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 poblano chiles, coarsely chopped

2 jalapeño chiles, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Toss the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic in the oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the vegetables are golden brown and soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

3. Transfer to a food processor and process with the cilantro, adding a little water if necessary to adjust the consistency, until pureed. Season with the honey and additional salt and pepper if needed. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator. Heat gently before serving.

RED CHILE SAUCE

The counterpart to Green Chile Sauce and a darn good sauce on its own served with meat and fish. Brick red New Mexico chiles give this sauce great color and a deep roasted