Sauces and Gravies

2 recipes found

Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
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Oct 10, 2025

Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce

This isn’t exactly the barbecue sauce that Gates Bar-B-Q, a Kansas City institution, serves at its five locations in Missouri and Kansas and sells in supermarkets. But it’s as close a recipe as Ollie Gates, the 93-year-old owner, is willing to give up. “It’s close enough,” he said. Like the original, this version uses ketchup and apple cider vinegar as its foundation, and it’s warm with red pepper and perfumed with cumin and celery seed. It tastes like Kansas City tradition, from before the rise of sweeter “Kansas City-style” bottled sauces like KC Masterpiece. “Some people say it’s sweet,” Mr. Gates said. “It’s sweet when you first taste it. Then it blossoms in your mouth, and then the heat comes.”

10mAbout 3 cups
Classic Italian American Meatballs
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Oct 8, 2025

Classic Italian American Meatballs

The world may not need another classic Italian American meatball recipe, but this one is truly delicious and simple to prepare. The Pecorino Romano adds a subtle sharpness and funk that elevates the flavor. As for the sauce, passata, an often-overlooked tomato purée, creates a simple yet incredibly fresh tomato sauce that allows the meatballs to be the star. The best part? The sauce only gets better as the meatballs simmer in it. Nothing can replace a beloved family recipe, but the delicate texture of these meatballs, thanks to the ricotta, may convince you there’s another version to love. 

1h 15m4 servings (12 meatballs)