Northern Alabama White Lightning

2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt

½ to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium-size bowl.

Serve the sauce warm or chilled with poultry. Refrigerate any remaining sauce in a covered container for up to 3 weeks. Use for traditional barbecue, contemporary smoked food and grilled dishes.

Makes about 3 cups.

Variation: The sauce can be used as the basis of a White Lightning Mop, too. Double the quantity of vinegar in that case and add a little water to thin the mixture. Heat the mop before you plan to use it initially and keep it warm over low heat between bastes.

"The Barbecue Lover's Big Book of BBQ Sauces" by Bill & Cheryl Jamison (The Harvard Common Press, 2015)