Try these recipes for BBQ sauce created by RJ readers

We asked, you answered. You told us what ingredients to use and we mixed and heated and tasted. And we have a winner.

Frank Dudenhofer of Las Vegas took the top spot in the Las Vegas Review-Journal barbecue sauce contest, for his Frankie D’s Barbecue Sauce. His prize is a $100 gift card.

Dudenhofer said he came up with the recipe in about 2008.

“I owned a bar and grill in Moab, Utah,” he said. “I decided to do barbecue. I had to come up with a recipe that would satisfy everyone. I thought it had sweet flavor with a little bit of kick to it.” He sold the bar in 2013 but has held onto his recipes and occasionally makes the sauce for friends.

The fact that it was created for a bar and grill explains the quantity involved in Dudenhofer’s recipe, which starts with a No. 10 can — that’s three quarts — of Hunt’s Ketchup. When testing we cut the recipe in half.

We received 35 entries for the contest and chose 10, based on originality and creativity. We prepared them and tested them on a panel of more than a dozen R-J staffers. One taster liked the winning sauce for its “sweet and smoky” qualities, another because it was “sweet and tomatoey,” while a third liked the “nice afterbite.”

Dudenhofer barely edged Mark Cheney, with Kevin Jensen in third place. Susan Spannaus and Ross Hurdle tied for fourth.

Their recipes follow — just in time for Memorial Day barbecues.

Frankie D’s Barbecue Sauce

No. 10 can (3 quarts, or 96 ounces) Hunt’s Ketchup

1 pound brown sugar

½ cup garlic powder

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup Liquid Smoke

16 ounces maple-flavored syrup

1 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste; should be sweet on tongue and spicy to throat)

½ cup yellow mustard

⅛ cup red wine vinegar

1 cup brewed coffee

Mix together and simmer one hour.

— Recipe from Frank Dudenhofer

Wichita Kan-Sauce

2 cups Hunt’s Ketchup

⅓ cup cider vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup granular garlic

¼ teaspoon ground mace

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

8 drops vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients and simmer.

— Recipe from Mark Cheney

Sweet justice (“sweet with a little bit of heat”)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 peaches, peeled and chopped (see notes)

½ cup blood orange juice

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup peach preserves

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons of your favorite rub (see notes)

⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder

⅛ teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 tablespoon molasses

⅛ teaspoon sriracha

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add peaches and cook for three to five minutes, until soft.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Transfer sauce to blender and puree until soft.

Return to saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into air-tight container, let cool to room temperature, place in refrigerator overnight and let the flavors meld.

NOTES: I put my peaches on the smoker for an hour at 225 degrees for added smoky flavor. For rub, I use 1 tablespoon Dominator from Oakridge (oakridgebbq.com) and 1 tablespoon Smoking Guns Hot (smokingunsbbq.com).

— Recipe from Kevin Jensen

Susan’s BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon Mexican ground cumin

1 tablespoon butter

4 cloves garlic

½ green bell pepper, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

¼ jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 cup dark beer