Even experienced home cooks typically leave condiment needs in the hands of the professionals. House-made ketchup is never as good as the classic 99-cent bottle.
Excursions into artisan mustard often convince one that the Germans solved it generations ago. And what kind of maniacs work on their own dill relish? That’s pathological behavior. But there’s one big exception to this rule—barbecue sauce. The gloppy, easily scorched sugar bombs that line the store shelves have no place near your grill.
Barbecue sauce is one case where not only can you do it better than store-bought, but you can do it much better with minimal effort. You’ll never again suffer a carbonized chicken breast “marinated” in barbecue sauce—and hopefully your friends won’t either.