Few foods are more ubiquitously Southern than KumBak Sauce. And few foods have so many ingredients, the addition or omission of which allow this delight to be tailored to your personal preference. Great on crackers, great with shrimp, great on a wedge of lettuce, great with avocado – in fact, not much it doesn’t go with. And oh, so simple.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c mayonnaise (see NOTES)
1/2 c ketchup (see NOTES)
1/2 c chili sauce (see NOTES)
1/2 c salad oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp prepared mustard (see NOTES)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (see NOTES)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp water
4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender (and you’ll get better results if you put the oil in first). Pulse until your desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate in a closed container until ready to use.
NOTES
Given all the flavorful ingredients in this culinary delight, allowing the sauce to chill in the refrigerator a day or two before first use will really allow all of the flavors to get to know each other.
For sake of authenticity (at least where my mother’s recipe is concerned, and that’s where this came from), use the following:
Duke’s or Blue Plate Mayonnaise. DO NOT use Kraft Miracle Whip!
Heinz Ketchup
Heinz Chili Sauce
French’s Mustard (yellow)
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
As tempting as it might be, I encourage you to avoid store-bought versions – usually sold as ‘comeback’ sauce. Too homogenized, and just nowhere near as flavorful. You’ve been warned!
never 2 old 2 start cooking 