BBQ Sauces

[attrapereves]

What are some of your favorite store bought bbq sauces?

I really like Stubbs, which I think is available all over the country. Open Pit is also pretty good. There are a few Kansas City sauces I like, but they are probably only on shelves in Missouri.

[Hickory]

I had Stubbs for the first time last year, and it's great!

[MT Gianni]

I love HP sauce enough to travel to Canada to get it or send $$ if i find a traveler. House of Parlimant called Brown Sauce by Nigela in her cooking shows. I hate to waste it on groups so I go with KC masterpiece and add some spices, onion and garlic and lemon pepper for ribs.

[attrapereves]

I grew up with Eastern NC vinegar sauces, but I really don't like them too much anymore. The vinegar is really overpowering.

[xtphreak]

Carolina Treat
Bottled in Wilmington, NC (my hometown)
Not so much vinegar as golden colored mustard base
They do ship, but I can find it in southern groceries like Ingles

[SciFiJim]

Anyone have any good homemade recipes?

I wish I had the recipe to the one my aunt made when I was little.

It was so good, I would use it for a dipping sauce with bread.

[2AMMD]

Not totaly home made but quick and simple.
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup each - cider vinegar, molasses, and "Try Me Tiger Sauce"(in most stores near hot sauces)
add liquid smoke or other spices if desired
2AMMD

[attrapereves]

Carolina Treat
Bottled in Wilmington, NC (my hometown)
Not so much vinegar as golden colored mustard base
They do ship, but I can find it in southern groceries like Ingles

Love me some Carolina Treet sauce. I get my parents to ship it to me from NC. It's a thick sauce, so it sticks well when cooked.

[MaryB]

Ken Davis, KC Masterpiece, my homemade Carolina sorta sauce that is 50/50 ketchup and vinegar, red pepper flakes to taste. Simmer that to combine flavors then off the heat finish with butter. It really tones down the vinegar bite. I need to try it with bacon fat instead of butter sometime...

[Shiloh]

My home-made sauce consists of ketch-up, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, tomato paste and spices.
I sort of just throw it together and sometimes add other things.

Shiloh

[gkainz]

KC Masterpiece for a sweet sauce, Stubbs for a little peppery bite sauce

[scaevola]

I also like HP sauce. Fresh & Easy is the only chain of stores I know that carries it. I don't think they're in Montana so Canada is probably closer for you.


I love HP sauce enough to travel to Canada to get it or send $$ if i find a traveler. House of Parlimant called Brown Sauce by Nigela in her cooking shows. I hate to waste it on groups so I go with KC masterpiece and add some spices, onion and garlic and lemon pepper for ribs.

[MT Gianni]

I also like HP sauce. Fresh & Easy is the only chain of stores I know that carries it. I don't think they're in Montana so Canada is probably closer for you.


Rosaurs has it @ $8.99 for a 6 oz bottle, hence my Canada runs. Last trip I brought home around a half gallon.

[attrapereves]

Rosaurs has it @ $8.99 for a 6 oz bottle, hence my Canada runs. Last trip I brought home around a half gallon.

Can you get it online?

[daniel lawecki]

I start with open Pit for a base then add my twist on it . I add Orange Marmalade - Worcestershire sauce - Cayenne Pepper - little Vinegar - and some Brown Mustard. I mix this together and heat it up so everything gets happy.

[Boyscout]

Heard good things about Stubbs but I really like the Original Sweet Baby Rays.

[lylejb]

Amazon.com has it

[reloader28]

Heard good things about Stubbs but I really like the Original Sweet Baby Rays.

There is no comparison for me.
Original Sweet Baby Rays is our favorite.

[Shiloh]

Another good base is sweet soy sauce from the asian store. Made with palm sugar I think. t is very sweet and needs to be cut with vinegar or water. Rice vinegar works well.

Shiloh

[gbrown]

A homemade that I got off the net. My family loves it with sausage links and chicken. Pretty simple and quick. I use cheap ketchup to make it. Comes out good. Add some smoke flavor if you want.

1 1/2 cup Catsup
1/2 cup Sugar, brown
3 tbs Vinegar, cider
1/2 cup Water, municipal
1 tsp Sauce, Worcestershire
1 tbs Spices, garlic powder
1 tsp mustard seed, yellow
1 tbs Onion flakes
1/8 tsp pepper, black

[buckwheatpaul]

Sweet Baby Ray's is great!

[fatnhappy]

Heard good things about Stubbs but I really like the Original Sweet Baby Rays.

I second that notion

[phillips66]

A recipe I got from a dude who ran the deli at the local Piggly-Wiggly here in RR:

1-18oz bottle of Piggly-Wiggly BBQ sauce
1- cup apple cider vinegar
1- cup brown sugar

Heat in a sauce pan until it almost, but does not boil. Add some pepper flakes and stir. Piggly-Wiggly BBQ sauce is the best but other bottled BBQ sauce will work, including Kraft, but it's not quite as good. Great on chicken or pork. The local Piggly-Wiggly used to slow cook chickens, then dip the entire carcass in this sauce and I bought one every Friday on my way home from work. Feel free to experiment. I live in NE North Carolina so the BBQ and sauce recipes are endless around here.

Hope you enjoy!

[GLL]

I buy HP in my local pub right here in Pasadena, CA. :)
I use it for roast beef rather than BBQ.
Ask around if there are English pubs nearby.

Jerry

[762 shooter]

SBR here.

762

[attrapereves]

Sweet Baby Rays is really good too. I like their spicy variety.

[Moonie]

For a sweet sauce we love the original Sweet Baby Rays. Being from central NC (and my Grandfather grew up in Lexington NC) I prefer Lexington style which is a cross between eastern and western NC sauces. I use the following recipe:

4 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
a few dashes tabasco or texas pete
dash or two chipotle chili powder
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and boil slowly for 15 minutes.

This results in a rather complex flavored bbq sauce that is faithful to the Lexington style.

[gkainz]

Heard good things about Stubbs but I really like the Original Sweet Baby Rays.
Oh yeah, forgot about that one ... tried it and liked it!

[Bulldogger]

I use a secret weapon. First, get whatever sauce is on sale for a dollar come cookout season and buy a bunch of it. Then once I use a little bit of it and open up some space in the bottle, I jam in a tablespoon or two of "Woody's Cook-In Sauce" concentrate. I love the flavor and it seems to make anything taste great. It hasn't been available at the local Safeway for some time, but I found a stack of jars on the discount rack a year or so ago and bought them all for a dollar apiece. I figure since it's sealed in a jar it doesn't matter if it's expired.
BDGR

[gwpercle]

My go-to for store bought is Sweet Baby Ray's. I like all his flavor's especially the Sweet Viadilia Onion.
Gary

[MaryB]

To much sugar for me, I like a vinegar bite to my BBQ sauce. Worst is Kraft... all my friends buy/like... I either bring my own BBQ sauce or skip it.


Sweet Baby Ray's is great!

[smokeywolf]

I like the Jack Daniels sauces pretty well, but we usually have an abundance of SBR's in the house.

[Boyscout]

Lots of good ones out there. It's like my pizza. I like one type the most but love to change it up every once in awhile depending on the mood I'm in.

[MT Gianni]

I use a secret weapon. First, get whatever sauce is on sale for a dollar come cookout season and buy a bunch of it. Then once I use a little bit of it and open up some space in the bottle, I jam in a tablespoon or two of "Woody's Cook-In Sauce" concentrate. I love the flavor and it seems to make anything taste great. It hasn't been available at the local Safeway for some time, but I found a stack of jars on the discount rack a year or so ago and bought them all for a dollar apiece. I figure since it's sealed in a jar it doesn't matter if it's expired.
BDGR
I add some onion and garlic powders to store brands as well as what it needs for taste, vinegar, lemon or lime juice.

[MT Gianni]

The butcher at Costco got us onto a good dry rub when we did a rodeo grill for 80 last year. It is Rib rub and Seasoning sold in their spice aisle. Works good on beef, pork, deer and elk.

[MaryB]

My go to pork rub is Smokin Guns mild(hot is over powering to my taste) http://www.smokingunsbbq.com/products.jsp I buy it 8 pounds at a time I use so much. Good on popcorn too!

[yancey]

Sweet Baby Rays !! Man that stuff is good"

[gunshot98]

Sweet Baby Rays Viadilia Onion is so good. I haven't ever really had a bad sauce, just some better than others.

[sniper69]

Around the house Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar is popular. Cattlemen's Master's Reserve Memphis Sweet BBQ sauce is good too. I have about a half bottle of HP Guinness BBQ sauce left - but only place I have ever seen it for sale is England :shock:. It is great on beef - I'll hate the day that bottle empties.

One of my supervisor's in Bama would make BBQ sauce and bring me a pint every once in a while. That was some great sauce - but he would never share the recipe. It tasted like it might have some mustard in it - but he said there was no mustard in the recipe, so that part always baffled me. :D

[MaryB]

Amazon carries HP sauces, I will have to give it a try.

[rockrat]

We like Head Country sauce. I use their rub on my pork butt. I also like Famous Daves Devils spit, as I like mine on the hot side. Sometimes I take Daves Sweet and Sassy and add some Ghost Pepper sauce to make it "flavorful".

[ratitude]

We like Head Country sauce. I use their rub on my pork butt. I also like Famous Daves Devils spit, as I like mine on the hot side. Sometimes I take Daves Sweet and Sassy and add some Ghost Pepper sauce to make it "flavorful".

I second the Head Country, love that sauce. I'll choose it over anything else in the store. The only thing I liked better than Head Country is the homemade spicy house sauce at a local BBQ joint that is now gone. :-(

[snowwolfe]

There is no comparison for me.
Original Sweet Baby Rays is our favorite.

Same here, but we usually cut it with a little apple cider vinegar and sometimes add some hot sauce.

[km101]

Bullseye or Sweet Baby Ray's if I don't have time to make my own.

Homemade BBQ Sauce - good on most anything.

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
½ cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup (preferably Heinz)
1 cup water
¾ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup cayenne pepper sauce
¼ cup spicy brown mustard
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
Pour the oil into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers, and jalapeños and give them a stir. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook til soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Dump in everything else except the Liquid Smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Swirl in the Liquid Smoke and let the sauce cool. Pour it into a container, cover, and store in the fridge til ready to use.
Makes 6 to 7 Cups

[dragon813gt]

Sweet Baby Rays!
I was on a Hickory Brown Sugar kick for awhile. Now I won't touch it as it's way to sweet. Switched back to the original.

Someone mentioned HP sauce. I've never seen a barbecue sauce from them. I do like their basic brown steak sauce. It's excellent on a burger.

[Blanco]

Store bought, it's usually Sweet Baby Ray's
For homemade my recipe is about like what you guys have posted with these secret ingredients
Substitute pickle juice for vinegar and add some DR.Pepper.
I like mine with extra, natural rough ground mustard.

[MaryB]

I have been trying to find a good sauce for beef. I don't like sweet sauces on beef so batting zero so far.

[sniper69]

I have been trying to find a good sauce for beef. I don't like sweet sauces on beef so batting zero so far.

For a sauce that isn't sweet that is good on beef (and I wish they still made as I'm on my last bottle) is HP Guinness sauce.
http://popsop.com/wp-content/uploads/HP_guinness_sauce_01.jpg

It seems most of the BBQ sauces out there have a sweetness to them, are you looking for something without any sweetness or just a small amount of sweetness?

[MaryB]

No sweet, I prefer savory flavors on beef. Tomato base will add all the sugar it needs for me.

[Jailer]

No sweet, I prefer savory flavors on beef. Tomato base will add all the sugar it needs for me.

MaryB give this one a go. I make it as listed and it's been fantastic on everything I've tried it on so far. It's not real sweet like all the store bought sauces and has an excellent flavor.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26228

I'd try it as listed first before you modify but if you insist on no sweet try it without the brown sugar.

[osteodoc08]

Sweet Baby Ray's for store bought stuff for me. Otherwise I mix up a carolina sauce similar to what everyone else has posted.

[MaryB]

Looks like it would be good on pork/chicken but to much sugar, sugar in th erub and pulled pork seasoning, molasses.... ketchup has sugar...


MaryB give this one a go. I make it as listed and it's been fantastic on everything I've tried it on so far. It's not real sweet like all the store bought sauces and has an excellent flavor.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26228

I'd try it as listed first before you modify but if you insist on no sweet try it without the brown sugar.

[sniper69]

Here is one tried tonight. It tasted good on smoked chicken, now to see how it taste with other kinds of meat.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14754236868_5bffe68b71_c.jpg

[Wayne Smith]

If you want to make any sauce less sugary and more smoky reduce the sweeting and add an equal amount of coffee grounds. Yeah, it sounds funny, but it works.

[MaryB]

Unless you hate that coffee taste in food :???: I will drink coffee occasionally but not exactly my favorite

[silverado]

I have tried lots of sauces, but the one I keep going back to is KC Masterpiece hickory and brown sugar. Can't stand any sweet baby rays sauces. Famous daves is ok. I have tried a few smaller brand ones but they don't really do it for me. It is all personal taste. I usually don't put sauce on my ribs, and that is my most common bbq, so take it for what it's worth.

[Moonie]

I did pork ribs over the weekend, 3-2-1 method and served the sauce on the side. Sweet baby rays with some sweet mead and some of the rub I used on the ribs added, served on the side. Was very good.

[MaryB]

Pork ribs I always serve dry with an assortment of sauces for people that want them. I also put the rub out and most add some extra rub or put some in a condiment cup to dip bites in. Pulled gets my Carolina sauce variant, beef I have been putting out sweet sauce but as mentioned I don't like the combo of sweet and beef. Will have to do some experimental sauce cooking this fall when canning season is over with to find one for beef. Maybe a dark ale/tomato/rosemary/garlic/onion/salt/tiny bit of dill... thinking out loud here...

[Lance Boyle]

I don't buy sauces anymore, or salad dressings for that matter either. A waste of money.

I make my own bbq sauce, I like it a bit sweet but not overly sweet. For that reason honey isn't used at all for me.

catsup
apple cider vinegar
molasses
minced fresh onion, cooked in the pot first with a touch of oil
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and a few other things like pecan liquid smoke

Molasses to me is the best sweetener for bbq. Brown sugar will work but it's not as good.

[pretzelxx]

Well.. I love a good honey bbq. But back when i was workin with my dad we would mix up 2 gallons of kraft original and two gallons kraft hickory flavor throw in 4 lbs of brown sugar and 4 lbs relish.

Came out pretty darn good on ribs and fried chicken.

[jakec]

store bought i like all the "john boy and billy" grillin sauces and rubs. i really like the carolina mustard and vinegar sauces too. im gonna try moonies recipe it sounds good.