As a hopeless addict to Mc Crary's amazing hot dog with hot spicy BBQ sauce, I have been messing around in my kitchen for a while, trying to come up with something close. The following works for me. You can vary the heat, or omit it if you want.

Ingredients-

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 Tbs ground cumin

1 Tbs dijon mustard

3/4 Tbs ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp habanero pepper powder or 1 Tbs cayenne powder (optional)

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup white vinegar

juice of 2 lemons

2 cups water

Directions-

Whisk all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches desired thickness.

If you are making a hot dog, it should be at least 1 inch in diameter, and with a natural casing. The best are "Fricks Gourmet Franks", available at Dierbergs in St. Louis. After grilling, slice the dog lengthwise and drench it plus both insides of a Kaiser roll with warm sauce (just like Roscoe did) and serve with vinegar slaw in the sandwich. It's a mess . . . it's a work of art!