Żubrów-B-Q Sauce

The other day, I made a unique barbecue sauce with a Polish twist. I took a favorite vodka BBQ sauce recipe of mine, but substituted my favorite flavored Polish vodka: Żubrów-B-Q Sauce, made with Żubrówka Vodka (It's pronounced Zhu-BRUFF-ka). Żubrówka  is also called "Bison Grass" vodka because it gets it's flavor from a grass that grows in Poland called "Bison Grass," a favorite food of Polish (European) Bison, a cousin to American Bison (or buffalo). Żubr is the Polish word for Bison. Hopefully it all makes sense to you.

But, with a play on the spiciness of American Buffalo wings, I've made this spicy BBQ sauce and christened it, Żubrów-B-Q Sauce. Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup Żubrówka (Polish Vodka--accept no imitations!)
• 1 Pint (16 oz) Ketchup (I prefer Hunts with no HFCS)
• 2/3 Tbsp. freshly roasted and ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder (the hotter the better, I believe)
• 1/2 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and let simmer 20+ minutes to meld the flavors. Cool and server. Keeps several months in the fridge--if you can get it to last that long. Recipe is easily doubled.