PASSIONATE RATIONS

I love BBQ.

For years I wondered if my strongest loyalties lay with Carolina-, Kansas-City, Memphis- or Texas-style. While they all have some bits of overlap and many strengths to recommend them, Rufus Teague has made me a Kansas-City girl. (Truth be told, though, I probably always was, as Kansas-City style probably boasts the most sugar and my sweet tooth reigns over my diet).

I just finished, on my own, an entire bottle of Mr. Teague’s Honey Sweet sauce. Thank goodness such things can be ordered on Amazon, because I WILL be replenishing my supply, as well as trying his other flavors (Touch o’ Heat, Whiskey Maple, Blazin’ Hot).

The sauce is deeply hued, thick and spicy-sweet concoction, delicious on everything from meat to potatoes. I even put it on my vegetarian chili. And, yes, I even ate it out of the bottle by the spoonful.

It’s that good.

I think Rufus Teague is really some white guy from Kansas named John McCone, but John-John is not really sharing that secret, so I’m happy to suspend my belief and buy (literally) into the myth of a lone cook on some wagon train long ago (or not so) creating his secret recipe.

When you’re that good, you can call yourself whatever the hell you want.