Everyone agrees nothing says summer as clearly as a barbecue meal! However, not everyone agrees on how to cook on a grill. Every region has its signature sauce, and they take their unique tastes seriously. Try something new and become a pit master this season.
An article in Taste of Home described the premier sauces from across the country.
- Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce. Classic southern BBQ! Unlike many sauces, the eastern-style contains no tomato. It’s a tart combination of cider vinegar and spices like cayenne, black pepper, crushed red pepper, hot sauce and salt. The thin sauce is used to soak pork as it cooks.
- Piedmont or Lexington-Style Dip. When Heinz ketchup made its debut in 1876, it was a turning point in the history of barbecue sauce. In North Carolina, it resulted in a state divide over the use of tomatoes in barbecue sauce. This led to the Piedmont-style or “Lexington Dip” (the city where the style is most popular). Western Carolinians traditionally cook pork shoulder and dress it with a tangy, vinegar-based sauce that’s slightly reddened and sweetened by ketchup.
- South Carolina-Style Mustard Sauce. South Carolina has its own bragging rights to sauce! German influence added a mustard-based sauce. Carolina Gold is thinned with vinegar and has added spices to dress pulled pork and other pork cuts.
- Texas-Style Mop or Basting Sauce. Texas’s beef barbecue is cooked with savory “mop sauce” or “basting sauce.” It is called this because it’s applied to the meat with a cotton fiber mop. Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible, describes the sauces as more of a thin “glaze” that moistens the meat and adds flavor as it smokes. Mop sauces may include beef stock, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and spices including salt, pepper and garlic.
- Kansas City-Style Sauce. Kansas City, Missouri’s thick, sweet and tangy sauce Is what most Americans think of as barbecue sauce. It’s often sold in grocery stores, found covering ribs at restaurants and used to dip chicken nuggets at McDonald’s. Ketchup and molasses give it a sweeter, heavier consistency while additives like liquid smoke give it a barbecue flavor. Worcestershire, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and other spice may also be used.
- Alabama White Sauce. Invented by northern Alabama barbecue pioneer Bob Gibson, this sauce is great for dipping. Unlike the pork BBQ traditions of the Carolinas, this mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper is best applied to smoked chicken. It’s served thick and creamy or milky and is unique among American sauces.
Barbecue sauces can be readily found for sale or you can try your hand with a homemade recipe. Explore the unique flavors of US barbecue with a new twist on a grilling favorite!
