BBQ, Starts with the Grill, Ends with the Sauce

Most of you will be grilling today I assume. Ace had a good post on American BBQ.  One bone of contention I have is that they advocate for New Jersey BBQ.  Sorry.  Italian food and Jersey I’d buy.  BBQ, not so much.

There are specific regional preferences when it comes to BBQ.

A massive debate roils in Eastern, Western and South Carolina. I have had them all. They each have their own appeal. The Boss had me out to a great place in Texas, County Line BBQ. The view was incredible. The beef ribs were great.

My favorite place in the world for BBQ is still in Memphis, TN. The Commissary. Pork BBQ, with a tomato based sauce. They do everything well.

One of the key pieces that you can measure quality at every BBQ shack you’ll ever go to is the quality of their hot links. If it’s authentic, they make the links themselves. It’s skill.

The links show the creativity of the place.

They key to great BBQ is cooking low and slow over a longer period of time. Then, it’s all about the sauce. People tell me I make a pretty mean BBQ sauce. Here is the recipe. Have a great day.

Ketchup
Chili Sauce (Make your own if you can)
Lee+Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce (quite a bit, 6tblsp)
Red Wine or Apple Cider Vinegar (around 4-6 cups or more depending)
Brown Sugar(maybe 6 tablespoons)
Hickory Smoke Powder (1 tablespoon)
Smoked Paprika, hot (6 tablespoons)
Cumin (to taste, too much and it overpowers)
Mustard Powder, or some mustard in a pinch (1 tablespoon)
Chipotle Chili powder (enough for smoky heat, not enough to make it overpowering)
Garlic powder (1 teaspoon or maybe a bit more)
Onion Powder (1 teaspoon)
Oregano (1/2-1 teaspoon)
A little cocoa powder
A little Tabasco
Salt (1 tablespoon)
Fresh ground black pepper (1 tablespoon)
Occasionally I will put some molasses in it. Darkens and thickens, adds a smoky sweet flavor.

A couple of things I am going to add next time-a teaspoon of fish sauce. It’s full of umami. That’s why the Lee+Perrin’s is nice. Umami is addicting.

The important key is to get the tang, hot, sweet thing right. The smoked paprika, chipotle and smoked powder will add the right amount of smokiness. I start with one 32 oz bottle of ketchup and then the chili sauce. I have tried to use Open Pit as a base, then reduce it by simmering it to make it more intense, but no one likes that as well.

The important thing with a sauce is to create layers of flavor that roll through your taste palette-not just heat or sweet.

If you want to make Carolina Sauce, it’s easy. Apple Cider Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Cayenne Pepper. All there is to it. Add a little mustard and you have South Carolina Q. Add a little tomato and you have a different Carolina Q.

My grill is a Primo Jr. It’s a ceramic grill, and it’s super easy to do an all day smoke on. Recommended to me by my friend Bill G., who is a big shooter in official BBQ circles. So far, if you use the right charcoal, it’s beautiful. I don’t recommend Cowboy Charcoal. My friend Moshe from Make It For Us recommends Royal Oak Lump.

Fire up the smoker, pour yourself a neat glass of bourbon and wait. With BBQ, you should drink an American craft beer. Wine doesn’t hold up, unless it’s champagne.

Happy Father’s Day.

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