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Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens to a ketchuplike consistency, about 15 additional minutes. Use it as a dip for chips, French fries, or crackers; or as a spread for sandwiches, burritos, or wraps.

Increase the beef broth to 1 cup; after the sauce has cooked for 10 minutes, add 2 or 3 pounds clams, scrubbed of dirt, or mussels, scrubbed and debearded. Cover the pot and cook until they open, about 5 minutes. Discard any that do not open before serving.

Use the sauce as you would a salsa—or in combination with a salsa—to make “barbecued” nachos.

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Plum-and-Rum Barbecue Sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1½ cups canned tomato sauce

½ cup plum preserves or jam

½ cup beef broth

¼ cup dark rum, such as Myers’s

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Several dashes of hot red pepper sauce to taste

Bring the onion, ginger, tomato sauce, plum preserves or jam, broth, rum, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cloves, pepper, and hot red pepper sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until fairly smooth.

Reduce the heat and simmer slowly until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; keep the sauce warm over low heat while you make the ribs. (The sauce can be made ahead; store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days—reheat over medium heat until barely simmering.)

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cabbage, Port, and Vanilla

These juicy, moist bits of rib, about 3 inches long, are taken from the chuck, the part of the beef between the neck and shoulder. They need long, slow, moist cooking to tenderize them. This is a rich, complex dish; follow it with a simple, vinegary salad. Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6 ounces pancetta, chopped

4½ pounds bone-in or 2½ pounds boneless beef short ribs

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 small head red cabbage, shredded through the large holes of a box grater (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon juniper berries

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1½ cups port

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

One 5-inch rosemary sprig or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed

One 4-inch cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium heat. Add the pancetta and fry until crisp, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Working in batches as necessary, add the ribs to the pot and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the cabbage, juniper berries, fennel seeds, and allspice. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage wilts a bit, about 4 minutes.

Pour in the port; bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes to reduce it somewhat, then stir in the beef broth and tomato paste until smooth.

Add the rosemary, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Return all the short ribs, any accumulated juice, and the pancetta to the pot. Bring to a full simmer, cover, and place in the oven.

Bake until the rib meat is fork-tender, about 2½ hours. Discard the rosemary sprig, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, and bay leaf before serving. The juniper berries are difficult to find, but they should be removed from individual servings.

Variations: Substitute 4 cups shredded Brussels sprouts for the cabbage.

To make a stew, take the meat out of the pot, remove it from the bones, discard the bones, roughly chop the meat, and stir it back into the sauce. If you think it is too watery, transfer to a large saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly