Uncle Mike's Hot Wing Sauce

Make your own "fresher" version of wing sauce using simple ingredients. This recipe is customizable to suit individual tastes. You can make it mild or hot. You will arrive at a perfect balance - for you - and will really love the results! The quantities of ingredients listed are a guide and not an absolute. Vary amounts according to taste for each step, But start with the butter first!

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 6 -16  ounces  Frank's red hot sauce (any vinegar-based Louisiana style red pepper sauce will work)
• 8  ounces butter (unsalted preferred, because you may want less salt in the mix)
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1⁄2 tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1  dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. 1. Melt the butter in a 1 quart sauce pan. For 2 people, I generally use 2 sticks butter (8 oz) - melt the butter before adding anything else. This makes enough so you can coat the chicken while cooking and have some left over to dip with while eating.
2. 2. Now add your hot sauce. Try to use fresh sauce as old sauce might not result in a smooth mix. How much? I recommend starting with 40% of your butter amount. That would be "very mild". Stir it in well. Taste it. Is it not "hot" enough? Add some more until it's warm enough for you. If you make it too hot, then you'll be adding more butter.
3. 3. Add maybe 1 Tbsp sugar. This is only to offset the vinegar taste of the pepper sauce. If you can taste "sweet" then you added too much. All you are doing here is taking the edge off the vinegar. If you like the vinegar then don't add sugar. Remember, this is your custom made sauce.
4. 4. Now, add just enough salt to bring up the flavors of the pepper sauce. If you taste "salt" then you added too much. All you are doing is bringing up the flavors and are not wanting to make it taste salty.
5. 5. Lastly, add about 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder. Stir it all well. Taste it. Does it need a little more? You decide.
6. 6. add a dash - 4-6 drops Worcestershire sauce without concerning yourself on how to pronounce it.
7. You can now build you own "Buffalo style" sauce and use it on legs, wings etc. You can use Frank's, Texas Pete, or whatever. Your flavors and proportions will vary with which pepper sauce you use at the time. If you use a pre-made "wing" sauce, realize you will be using much less butter and will really be losing some cost and originality advantage.