"struttin' Sauce" for Kansas City Sloppy Ribs

My KC Sloppy Ribs recipe is posted separately. This is the homemade barbeque sauce to accompany them...or for any grilling as the sauce is versatile and MUCH better than any sauce you'd buy in the grocery store. From "Smoke and Spice" by Cheryl and Bill Jamison, a James Beard award winning book.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 2 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon canola oil or 1  tablespoon  corn oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  cup tomatoes, puree'
• 3⁄4 cup cider vinegar
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 6  tablespoons brown sugar
• 6  tablespoons chili powder
• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
• 3  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 -4  teaspoons  celery salt
• 1  tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1  tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1  tablespoon corn syrup
• 1  tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)

Directions

1. In a saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute' until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook the mixture until it thickens, approximately 30 minutes. Stir frequently. If the consistency is thicker than you prefer, add a little water. Use the sauce warm or chilled. It keeps, refrigerated, for a couple of weeks.