In the world of barbecue, champion pitmaster Mike Mills is affectionately known as "The Legend." That title surely qualifies him to share a special series of yummy BBQ recipes in honor of the Big Apple BBQ event this weekend, featuring pitmasters from around the country.

Here, Mike Mills shares his recipe for Apple City Barbecue Sauce:

• Combine the ketchup, rice vinegar, apple juice or cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne, and bacon bits in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Stir it often.
• Allow to cool, then pour into sterilized glass bottles. Glass jar that used to contain mayonnaise or juice works real well. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• Variation: To make this sauce a little hotter, add more cayenne pepper to taste, approximately another ¼ to ¼ teaspoon. Be careful; a little cayenne goes a long way.

Makes 3 cups.

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About the Chef:

Pitmaster, Mike Mills presides over the pits at his six nationally acclaimed 17th Street Bar & Grill restaurants in Southern Illinois and four Memphis Championship Barbecue restaurants in Las Vegas.

In the early 1990s, he was co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team, one of the most celebrated teams on the circuit. He has the distinction of being the only three-time Grand World Champion at Memphis in May, otherwise known as the “Super Bowl of Swine.”

He is also the barbecue guru and a partner at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York City.

Visit Mike Mills on the web @ memphis-bbq.com.