The Riddle of BBQ Sauce

[Fat Cat]

Alright, I've been in a pretty dark place about endless COVID-19 shutdowns recently and as a result, I've watched The Unbelievable Ronnie Coleman about seven times while riding my Airdyne. Watching him choke down 6 lbs. of chicken breast a day one (a few) too many times, I've spent a lot of time thinking about his untamed love for KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. I knew things had gone too far when I found myself making BBQ chicken for my Sunday meal prep, but goddamn if it's not hard to find a good sauce out here in the Pineapple Islands.

And that's why I'm here. Friends, I need your help.

So, to the vaunted brain-trust of IGX, I ask a simple but pressing question. How the fuck do you make a good BBQ sauce, one that doesn't have HFCS in it, that tastes legit and can freeze or at least keep in the fridge for a while. HELP.

Also, let me be clear, I am talking about a proper Kansas City or similar type sauce, do not come at me with that Alabama mayonnaise shit or some fucked up South Carolina mustard slather because I will fucking kill you.

[Schlegel]

This is a question that pits brother against brother, and tears nations apart.

Already what you seek will brand you a heretic to followers of the Old Ways.

[syaigh]

This here:
Modified Kansas City BBQ society BBQ sauce (sweet)

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium vidalia onions chopped (MUST BE VIDALIA OR SWEET ONIONS)
2 tbsp olive oil

Sautee onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Add:

1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt.

Simmer 15-20 minutes, let cool and puree.

Sometimes I only add a half cup of water. Simmer until its relatively thick, the most important part being that the sugar dissolves and the vinegar mellows some.

If you want a good NC bbq recipe, I'll share, but its vinegar based and might cause you to take up arms.

[Fat Cat]

This is a question that pits brother against brother, and tears nations apart.

My body is ready nigga, regulators RIDE.

[Fat Cat]

This here:
Modified Kansas City BBQ society BBQ sauce (sweet)

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium vidalia onions chopped (MUST BE VIDALIA OR SWEET ONIONS)
2 tbsp olive oil

Sautee onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Add:

1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt.

Simmer 15-20 minutes, let cool and puree.

Sometimes I only add a half cup of water. Simmer until its relatively thick, the most important part being that the sugar dissolves and the vinegar mellows some.

If you want a good NC bbq recipe, I'll share, but its vinegar based and might cause you to take up arms.

This looks like it has all the right moves, except can I use molasses instead of brown sugar? I'm prejudiced. Actually, I am prejudiced, but the real reason is try to avoid sugar.

Additional questions, and yes I will make this, do you brown the onions and garlic or do you just soften them? And what's the total yield? Like 2 cups? Finally, if you had to store it, how would you?

[baffled]

This is a question that pits brother against brother, and tears nations apart.

Already what you seek will brand you a heretic to followers of the Old Ways.

My first thought, having started my life in Texas and experienced real BBQ™, is that this thread will likely end this forum forever. Perfect ending to 2020, I suppose.

[Fat Cat]

[Sangoma]

I personally like South African Monkey Gland Sauce:

Ingredients
1 whole Onion, Diced
1 teaspoon Garlic, Diced
½ cup of Water
1 400gr canned Tomatoes
1 cup Tomato Sauce
½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
¾ cup Fruit Chutney
⅓ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Oil, For Frying

Instructions
Empty the canned tomatoes into a blender and pulse in short bursts until you have small chunks.
In a pot over medium heat with some oil, cook the onions and garlic until soft.
Add all the rest of the ingredients, stir thoroughly to combine and heat through.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30–40 minutes.
Serve generous lashings on a beautifully cooked steak or burger.

[Fat Cat]

What kind of fucked up recipe mixes metric and freedom units? Watter soort swart-Afrikaanse towery is dit?

[syaigh]

This here:
Modified Kansas City BBQ society BBQ sauce (sweet)

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium vidalia onions chopped (MUST BE VIDALIA OR SWEET ONIONS)
2 tbsp olive oil

Sautee onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Add:

1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt.

Simmer 15-20 minutes, let cool and puree.

Sometimes I only add a half cup of water. Simmer until its relatively thick, the most important part being that the sugar dissolves and the vinegar mellows some.

If you want a good NC bbq recipe, I'll share, but its vinegar based and might cause you to take up arms.

This looks like it has all the right moves, except can I use molasses instead of brown sugar? I'm prejudiced. Actually, I am prejudiced, but the real reason is try to avoid sugar.

Additional questions, and yes I will make this, do you brown the onions and garlic or do you just soften them? And what's the total yield? Like 2 cups? Finally, if you had to store it, how would you?

Yes, molasses would be fine, but I'd only add in a half cup at first and add it back to taste at the end. You can soften the onions and garlic, or you can caramelize the crap out of the onions for a sweeter, darker taste. If you want to cut sugar, I'd experiment with adding even more onions, caramelized to a deep brown, and then minimally adding molasses. Its flavor is a bit stronger than brown sugar, but if you dig it, you dig it. This keeps forever in the fridge in just a plastic container or a jar. The higher the sugar content, the better it will keep, but a squeeze bottle (especially one you can store upside down) will prevent any wee nasties from colonizing your stash.

[syaigh]

Of course it should go without saying that a good brine and/or rub will make your chicken far more flavorful than just grilling it. I brine my chicken breasts in 2 quarts of water with a half cup of sugar and a half cup of salt for two hours. Sometimes I add some paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder as well, but it makes them incredibly moist. I have smoked them or grilled them this way. A good opposite technique is to pound them out to just under an inch thick and season with salt and oil and grill them for only a few minutes on each side. This gives you moist chicken that is definitely not overcooked. Both methods decrease how much chewing effort you have to put in to eating the chicken.

For the record, I did a year and a half of high protein macros for a figure prep and the thought of even chewing meat sometimes still strikes fear into my heart and these preparations soothe my soul.

[Fat Cat]

For the record, I did a year and a half of high protein macros for a figure prep and the thought of even chewing meat sometimes still strikes fear into my heart and these preparations soothe my soul.

Mahalo for the cooking tips, I will be trying this out shortly. I try to keep my protein high, but mix it up between different things to avoid exactly this type of revulsion.

[Grandpa's Spells]

I like different sauces depending on what's cooking, except for mustard or mayo-based sauces. I had a good mustard one in Charleston but still like the others more.

If you can order it, Lillie's Q makes a variety of sauces from the different regions that at extremely good. Carolina red sauces with more vinegar can be great on pork.

Aaron Franklin FTW for a solid ketchup-based recipe. I haven't made it but it's Aaron Franklin:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aa ... -rib-sauce

[Fat Cat]

The Aaron Franklin one looks nearly identical to Syaigh's. He prolly stole it from her.

As for what I will use it on, most likely chicken and ribs. The chicken for me for week lunches, the ribs for the family on Sundays. I'm also gonna make a point of sampling some proper Texas brisket when I get to Austin because I have never had good brisket, it always seems dry and unappealing but I know people aren't stupid. There has to be something to it I'm missing.

[Kazuya Mishima]

Fuck ya'll niggas...SBR is DA BESSSSSS

[Kazuya Mishima]

"It's SWEET BABY RAY'S, my son...yeah, that shit full of high fructose corn syrup but that ain't slow me down...you hear how I be lovin' yo fine ass mama down err night."

[Fat Cat]

Officer Coleman ain't tryna hear that.

[motherjuggs&speed]

I have lived long enough to observe all manner of insane depravity, but until this thread I had no idea that anyone would make BBQ sauce with mustard or mayo.

[Grandpa's Spells]

I have lived long enough to observe all manner of insane depravity, but until this thread I had no idea that anyone would make BBQ sauce with mustard or mayo.

The road to Alabama is a path to many culinary tastes some consider to be unnatural.

[motherjuggs&speed]

For the record, I did a year and a half of high protein macros for a figure prep and the thought of even chewing meat sometimes still strikes fear into my heart and these preparations soothe my soul.

I grind liver in my blender. Will try chicken next.

[Fat Cat]

OK, I'm resurrecting this thread now that I have my smoker. Gonna work on sauces this weekend, might fuck around and do up a rack of spareribs, IDK.

[tough old man]

I love to use sweet n sour sauce with pineapple chunks. Or the stuff from famous Daves with pineapple chunks. Or just grill pineapple chunks.

[Bennyonesix1]

Eastern North Carolina Sauce

Cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt pepper and butter. Mix let sit in a glass jug for about 3 weeks.

I make a gallon at a time.

Do to taste but I think I use 1qt of vinegar, 2-tbsp of salt, 2 tbsp of crushed pepper and a little more than 1tbsp black pepper. Shake that bitch up and let it sit for at least a week. You can melt some butter in it if you want before serving.

This is for pulled pork usually. Served at the table. The shoulder or Butt doesn't need any marinade with this

[Fat Cat]

I love to use sweet n sour sauce with pineapple chunks. Or the stuff from famous Daves with pineapple chunks. Or just grill pineapple chunks.

Local people are pretty evenly split on the idea of cooking pineapple. E.g., I am not aware of a single person in Hawaii who eats "Hawaiian" pizzas with pineapple. It's not on any menus here. That said, using pineapple as a base for a marinade can be legit. Ford Fry, the well known Tex-Mex chef, swears by it in his tampiquena and asado recipes.

[Bennyonesix1]

You don't have to put "Hawaiian" in quotes. I know Hawaii doesn't exist.