Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and ketchup together first, until the color is completely uniform with no pink streaks. A smooth base helps the spices disperse evenly.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, both the coarse and fine black pepper, and the salt. Whisk until smooth and the pepper is evenly scattered throughout.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours for the fullest flavor.
- Stir before serving, and taste for seasoning at this point rather than before the rest.
Notes
The rest is not optional. Garlic and onion powder are dehydrated and need hours to rehydrate before they release their flavor, and black pepper's flavor compounds are oil-soluble and need time to migrate into the mayonnaise. Served immediately, the sauce tastes like seasoned ketchup and mayo.
Splitting the pepper between coarse and fine gives you both the bursts of bite from the coarse flecks and an even peppery flavor throughout from the fine grind.
How long it keeps is determined by your mayonnaise, not the sauce. Nothing else in the recipe is perishable. Check the mayo jar's date; with standard store-bought mayo that is usually about 2 weeks, and with homemade or preservative-free mayo about 1 week.
Store in a sealed container so it doesn't pick up fridge odors, and never dip directly into the storage container.
Do not freeze. Mayonnaise emulsions separate and turn grainy when thawed.
Taste after the rest, not before. The seasoning that seems right on day one will be wrong on day two.