Russell's BBQ Sauce -- disappeared from store shelves?

Last I seemed to trip over bottles of Russell's BBQ sauce whenever I was shopping. This year I can't find any anywhere! Short of driving out to Russell's for our supply, can anyone suggest a store that carries this? Near north and northwest suburbs are closest to us but, heck, we will drive if we have to.

We really like this sauce because it is one of the few bottled sauces that does not have corn syrup as one of the first or second ingredients. It tastes tangy and real.

Thanks for any information! --Joy

Hi,

I would phone Sunset Foods since they carry many specialty items. If they don't have it, they are not reluctant to special order either.

Good luck!

Regards,

Saw it at Jewel, Western and Roscoe (or perhaps Ashland and Wellington), just the other day. Never touch the stuff myself.

Thank you both for the tips. We finally decided that a drive to Elmwood Park ("The city with pride!") would be an ok investment of time. We put the top down on the old convertible, cruised to Russell's, had some delicious beef sandwiches on fluffy white bread buns, and bought two bottles of sauce. We are now ready for a home grilling experiment -- first brining slabs of ribs, then grilling them, then slathering them in the sauce.

The counter girl at Russell's, who may or may not know what she is talking about, says that the sauce is only sold at the two bbq shacks now, not in stores. I am sure there are still some bottles left on shelves in a few stores.

To be fair, the ingredients on the bottle label start with ketchup, which has as its third ingredient the dreaded corn syrup.

But it really seems that one could duplicate the Russell's recipe with a little experimentation: "Ketchup, water, spices, salt, worchestershire sauce and hot sauce." It would be hard to go wrong with this base!

Thank you again for your ideas!

--Joy




Russell's Barbecue
1621 N. Thatcher Ave.
Elmwood Park
708-453-7065.

Joy

there is a Russell"s in the NW Burbs. I want to say Rolling Meadows. That might be closer to you.

Now I am not a fan of their Sauce because I am not a fan of the brown spices. If you try to duplicate it, add some mace, nutmeg and clove but I think Mace is the dominant spice, if memory serves me.

Russell's Sauce

1 #10 can Heinz ketchup

3 quarts water

1/4 cup allspice

2 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp Tobasco hot sauce

1 tsp mustard powder or horseradish powder

Mix water and dry ingredients. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add ketchup, worcestershire, and hot sauce. Cover and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate 2-3 days before using.

Wow, that's a lot of allspice!

Sounds pretty close to me, especially the allspice and paprika (I've always thought it's essentially tonkatsu sauce, left by some 1930s Japanese line cook). I would have guessed there was added sugar and vinegar as well. Is there an official source for this recipe? Thanks for posting.