Call it the "thrill of the grill."

On Friday afternoon, Phil Fisher stepped into Smitty's Tire and Appliance in Cedar Falls and took a look at the $599 stainless steel Frigidaire gas grill and the $100 gift certificate from Fareway and fell in love.

Fisher's entry for "Sharky's Smokin' BBQ Sauce" was judged the grand-prize winner in the Courier's first-ever "Smokin' Sauce" contest. His prize package includes the grill, donated by Smitty's, a meat gift pack from Fareway, a set of barbecue tools and the official 2006 "Smokin' Sauce Sultan" chef's apron.

"It's a milder sauce than I would usually make," says Fisher, a Waterloo resident, describing his winning entry. (Sharky, it seems, is the family cat.) No stranger to barbecue, it's also the name for Fisher's competition barbecue team.

He normally cooks over charcoal or wood, but is happy to add gas grilling to his repertoire.

Second-place winner was Cheryl Rathe of Evansdale, for her "Yeah Baby!" sauce, and third-place went to "Jim's BBQ Sauce," submitted by Jim Raatz of Waterloo. Fourth- and fifth-place honorable mentions, respectively, were Don Hein and Bob Marshall.

Second- and third-place runners up will receive a set of barbecue tools, a $25 meat pack from Fareway and a chef's apron. Honorable mentions will receive a chef's apron.

Chef-judges Mark Widmann, chef at CU Restaurant, former TV chef Bob Coyle and Lou Cutright, winner of the first BBQ'Loo contest and well-known barbecue caterer, prepared and taste-tested five recipes chosen in a random drawing from among more than 70 submissions.

They described Fisher's sauce as "really, really good and with just a little tweaking, could be great. It's got good flavor and a nice finish, nice body and a dark rich color. It's the kind of sauce that tastes just as good on chicken as on beef."

Rathe's sauce won kudos as a "stand-alone sauce. You could put it with brisket, smoked ribs, pork, poultry … it would be good with all of them." Judges said Raatz's sauce had heat but the ketchup-based sauce might be a bit too garlicky. The fourth-place recipe, "Ma's Barbecue Sauce" needed a bit more sweetness, such as honey or soy sauce, to bring up the flavor, while the fifth-place "Ooowee! BBQ Sauce" needed more liquid because it tended to thicken too rapidly, and a few less ingredients for a more unified flavor.

Overall, judges agreed BBQ sauce can be simple or complex, but should have a good balance of ingredients. They also recognize that sauces reflect regionalities, such as the choice of vinegar-based sauces over tomato-based ones, along with family traditions and attitudes about food.

Honorable mention recipes can be found at the Courier's website, www.wcfcourier.com.

Grand-prize winner

Sharky's Smokin' BBQ Sauce

2 4-ounce cans tomato paste

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/2 cup molasses

3 tablespoons grated horseradish (in jar, not creamed kind)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke

2 tablespoons paprika

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Cook 1 to 2 hours. If not thick enough at end of cooking time, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring back to simmer. If too thick, thin with a little apple juice.

Second-place

Yeah! Baby Sauce

1 12-ounce can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan. Place over moderate heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to lowest simmer and cover. Stir frequently and simmer for 1 hour. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Third-place winner

Jim's BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup Vidalia (or other sweet) onion, finely minced

1 1/2 cup ketsup

5 tablespoons minced garlic

2 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons medium hot chili powder

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

4 dashes hot Tabasco pepper sauce

4 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients in medium pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; simmer and stir about 5 minutes. Baste on favorite meat while grilling.