Comeback Sauce

A creamy Mississippi-style condiment balances tomato, lemon, Worcestershire, garlic, and gentle chile heat in a smooth, tangy sauce.

25 min

1.25 cups

A small bowl of smooth pale-orange comeback sauce sits beside a clean spoon.

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp kosher salt

Equipment

Medium mixing bowl · Fine grater · Whisk · Measuring spoons

Adjust it chilled

Taste after the rest, when the garlic has mellowed and the acidity is easier to judge.

Keep the texture creamy

Use a thin layer in a sandwich or offer the sauce in a small bowl for dipping.

Mix the base

01. Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire, and 1 tsp hot sauce until the base is evenly coral-colored; reserve the rest of the hot sauce for tasting.

02. Grate garlic into a paste and stir it with 1 tbsp lemon juice, paprika, pepper, and salt; reserve the remaining lemon juice for the final adjustment.

Blend until creamy

03. Whisk the lemon-garlic seasoning into the mayonnaise base, scraping around the bowl to distribute the spices evenly.

04. Continue whisking until glossy, then scrape the bottom and sides so each spoonful has the same smooth texture.

Rest cold

05. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes; the short rest softens raw garlic and lets the tangy, savory flavors settle together.

Taste and tune

06. Taste the chilled sauce; add reserved lemon juice 1 tsp at a time for more brightness or reserved hot sauce a few drops at a time for more warmth.

Serve or store

07. Set out as a dip or spread a thin layer inside a sandwich; cover and return unused sauce to the refrigerator.