For sauce and marrinades I tend to use a can of Cola as the base. Any Cola will do, diet Cola works if one is worried about sugar content. Add garlic; celery, onion, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, liquid smoke if you have it and basically, any thing else I think might go well.
Boil and then reduce. Remove any big pieces or liquidise. Never fails.
Living in a hot climate, as we do, it's also easy to make "salts" for rubs. Put onion, celery, ginger and garlic in the sun for a couple of hours. Grind in a machine or pound in a pestle and mortar. Can do with capsicum too to make your own paprika. Make a lot and store in a jar. Should be good for a couple of months.