Barbecue sauce wasn’t commercially bottled until 1909. National distribution didn’t come till decades later. It was comparatively common, then, for barbecue sauce to be made right when a dish called for it.
The March 30, 1938 edition of The (Rochester, Penn.) Daily Times includes a recipe for barbecue sauce, titled “Barbecue Sauce is Served With Broiled Hamburgs.” It’s similar, but calls for butter instead of drippings and mustard.
A family recipe provided by Jennifer Kiel of Washington, DC, from her mother-in-law’s collection, started in Kent, Ohio.
Barbecued Veal Cutlets
2 veal round steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup lard or drippings
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. catsup
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Cut veal round steaks into 6 serving portions. Brown culets slowly in lard or drippings. Pour off drippings. Combine remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Pour sauce over the cutlets. Cover tightly and cook slowly 45 minutes to one hour or until done. Six servings.