Basic BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon of your favorite barbecue rub
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring slowly to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the sauce until dark, think, and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the sauce to clean, or even sterile, jars and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for several months.