JUDGES BESTOW HONOR ON SATICOY SAUCE.

Byline: Christopher Noxon Daily News Staff Writer

Cloaked in secrecy, wrapped in mythology and equipped with the power to sear a tender tongue, a barbecue sauce made at a roadside restaurant has become the taste of daredevil connoisseurs across the country.

It is called Rib Ticklers Barbeque Sauce and ladles of it are slathered onto chicken legs and tri-tips at R.D.'s Famous Barbeque just off Route 118 in the small farming community of Saticoy.

Made from a closely-guarded recipe reportedly formulated by a mess hall cook in World War II, the hottest version of the sauce - the one with the ``thermo'' warning label printed on the jar - won second place Saturday in the international Fiery Food Challenge in Albuquerque, N.M.

It was at least the fifth award for a sauce that has become the stuff of local lore, said R.D. Johnson, owner of R.D.'s Famous Barbeque.

``It's just got a darn good taste,'' said Johnson. ``It's not biting and it's not too sweet. It's got the correct combination of ingredients to make a good sauce.''

The award was handed out Saturday night at the conclusion of the 1997 Fiery Food Exhibition. Judges sampled more than 295 sauces and salsas from unmarked plastic containers in a variety of categories. The local concoction lost out in the ``triple X hot sauce'' category to a blend from Hubbard, Texas, that goes by the modest moniker Baptism of Fire.

``The judges were looking for sauces that were very, very hot,'' said Katherine Blackwell, director of development for the contest sponsor, Chili Pepper Magazine in Fort Worth, Texas. ``Some were so hot that you couldn't really taste anything. The judges were walking around with tears in their eyes.''

The blend called Rib Tickler may be hot, but it's also quite delicate, said Johnson. The ingredient list is basic: molasses, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, celery salt, red peppers and mustard. The exact combination of the ingredients, and a few secret spices, are closely-guarded trade secrets.

The sauce was available for years at a barbecue pit in Seattle, said Johnson. When the restaurant owner died, the recipe was acquired by a probate attorney who passed it on to one of the partners of the current restaurant, he said.

``Whether the story is true or not, I don't know - but it's a good story,'' said Johnson.

Owners of the recipe have taken the sauce to barbecue cook-off contests across the country, taking home ribbons at gatherings in Reno and Kansas City.