The fix

I'm having this obsession. Last night, I had Woody's barbecue sauce for the first time in probably 10 years. I think it seeped into my brain with all it's smokey, peppery goodness.

To explain, I grew up with Woody's. I'm not sure if it's a southern think, a southwest thing, or what. But it's this cook-in sauce that you can use as a marinade and a barbecue sauce. It's very low sugar, so it won't burn like most sauces on the grill. And I had Woody's on grilled or roasted something (beef, pork, chicken, baloney - don't ask) at least onece a week for my entire childhood. There was also something called Marvelous Meatballs that involved ground beef, bread crumbs, Woody's and grape jelly. Don't say "gross". I swear it's delicious.

But Woody's went out of business. You couldn't buy it. I mourned. And I tried every other sauce on the market. None of them would do. They all tasted sweet, when all I wanted was that dark, smokey, spicey, vinegary tongue tango that is Woody's.

But last night a friend made smoked brisket, with the newly risen, not new and improved, just the same as it was before Woody's. I was dipping pieces of meat in the sauce. I poured it on the potatoes. On my fingers. If I could have licked my elbow I'd have been dipping it in that tasty, tasty sauce. It's that thing, where you haven't tasted something in so long, and when you taste it again, it's just as good as you remember.

I've already warned my friend that I'm raiding her fridge tonight on my way home from work. What will I cover in that sauce? Doesn't matter. I just have to have it again.