BBQ Sauce Survey?

[Dominick]

read the ingredients of Sweet Baby Ray's.  Its sugar syrup. Dominick

[Brewcrafter]

Sauces are....basically a condiment in my world, I appreciate them but don't like to get happy with them with coating the meat - I like it on the side.  Sauces are a little like beer - many of them are out there, but they all share the same basic roots (Sugar, salt, acid).  When I hit the bottle, I like the various Stubb's brands. - john

[the rockfish ninja]

Stubbs smokey mesquite.
Most other store brands are too sugary for my taste.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Sauces are....basically a condiment in my world, I appreciate them but don't like to get happy with them with coating the meat - I like it on the side.  Sauces are a little like beer - many of them are out there, but they all share the same basic roots (Sugar, salt, acid).  When I hit the bottle, I like the various Stubb's brands. - john

I think you kind of nailed it here. When I was young(er) I used to slather it on the meat while it was still cooking. I just thought it was the thing to do for that type of grilling. But then I got better at cooking over fire and learned i didn't need to hide my mistakes with the sauce. It could be added at the end, as a compliment to the meat.

I'm Armenian. We take our grilling seriously. But I'm more about the marinades than the dry rubs. Yeah science says something or other about flavors not penetrating. But poke some holes or add some pineapple or papaya to the mix and leave it over night. The only question of whether or not to marinate literally any meat I'm cooking is whether or not I have the time to set it up.

[Bill B]

When needed I make my own:

(Recipe stolen from Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA, Ninth Revision Barbecue Sauce, Pg 176)

3 cups ketchup
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 thin slices lemon(rind on) and minced
1 small onion minced
1 jalapeño minced
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water

Combine all in a sauce pot, simmer about 30 minutes, until thickened.  Add more water if it gets too thick before 30 minutes.  You can strain the solids out, but I don't, I like the small pieces in the sauce.  Keeps in the fridge about 30 days.

Bill

[Shellbelly]

It's definitely regional. 

For me, a little sauce goes a long way and it's not for cooking.  You moisten as you cook with a "sop mop" and a thin concoction of your favorite ingredients.  BBQ sauce is intended to compliment the smoky sensation you created.  If you make your own, try adding some smoke ring from the finished meat to add a matching smoke flavor.  "liquid smoke" products are too bitter for me but some like to use it. 

That said, one sauce may not work well with mesquite but could be perfect for peach or apple....and so on for all the woods of the BBQ world...except salty driftwood.  Nothing can overlook that mistake except intoxicated starvation.

As for store-bought, I like Rudy's.  You can probably order it online.  One bottle lasts for years.  It's good with oak-smoked meats.  It has coarse ground pepper that gives a kick every now and then as you munch along.  Double that if used with their sausage.

Another is made by The Salt Lick.  Pretty unique and really good at complimenting all their great BBQ.

[Midway Tommy]

If Wompus was still partaking in the forum he would be giving us all great advice. Henry-Harry has quite the barbecue reputation down the Lone Star State way. He has won many a barbecue competition award in his day.     

[jgp12000]

Tom, did I miss something is Henry ok?

[Midway Tommy]

Tom, did I miss something is Henry ok?

Pretty sure he's doing just fine.

[Mjg378]

Memphis is definitely a BBQ place.  We have so many really great BBQ restaurants.    charlie vergos rendezvous Has some of my favorite sauces. The hot sauce has Just enough but not to much . 
If the sauce has high fructose corn syrup I'll skip them.
Tennessee Mike

[sabaman1]

Chris & Pitts!

[PacRat]

My family always uses Chris & Pitts for a base and then embellishes it with whatever we have at hand to dial it in.

[jgp12000]

I just tried to send Wompus Cat a PM to check on him,and got a " this user cannot receive PMs at this time" message from this website ?

[sandbar]

Johnny Harris (I grew up in Savannah), and Dreamland's white bread dipped in their sauce.
Their barbeque is average.

With any other sauce, I doctor it with HOT SAUCE before consumption.

-Steve