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How do I progress to a non-sweet sauce?

ComputerMike

ComputerMike

Take a breath!
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Location
Carvel, AB Canada
I grew up in Western Canada (Alberta) and BBQ and grilling always meant a sweet BBQ sauce. Montreal Steak spice and other spices are pretty popular but the sauce is always sweet. Kraft, Bullseye and the like. True BBQ is hard to find, exspecially commercial BBQ.

Currently the sauce I use on my pulled pork is pretty sweet and I enjoy it but I would like to try something less sweet and leans more towards the tang of vinegar.

What is a good way to start? The recipe does call for vinegar to the tune of about 1/5 of the finished volume. I suppose I could increase the vinegar and throttle back the sweet but is it best to start with a whole new sauce?
 
Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce is basically 1 part cider vinegar, 1/8 part brown sugar with salt, cayenne, black and white pepper to taste. Mix and let blend for a few hours. It isn't cooked. Be sure to taste it on pulled pork -- it tastes different by itself.
 
HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce is basically 1 part cider vinegar, 1/8 part brown sugar with salt, cayenne, black and white pepper to taste. Mix and let blend for a few hours. It isn't cooked. Be sure to taste it on pulled pork -- it tastes different by itself.
Click to expand...

The vinegar sauces are some of my favorites. I use them to mop ribs too.

DSC04533cc.jpg

Here is a Basic Eastern North Carolina sauce that I have always liked. Some call for a higher proportion of vinegar to water, but this is a good starting place to test the taste buds. Can be used as a basting sauce as well as a table sauce on pulled or chopped barbecued pork.

1/2 Cup Water
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 t Salt (try sea salt)
1-1/2 t Cayenne Pepper
1/2 t Black Pepper

Warm the base so that the salt & peppers can blend in evenly.
 
I've got a sauce that we like for both finishing and moping...
2 cups Cider Vinegar
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 Teaspoons White Pepper

When I'm using it for a finish sauce, I use the standard Dijon mustard, for a mop sauce I use the coarse ground Dijon mustard...
 
I like using this on pulled pork:



1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Stir all ingredients in small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Makes about 2 cups. Unlike sauces from Texas and Kansas City, this sauce from South Carolina's Piedmont area is thin and vinegary. Note that it is not cooked. To tone down the tartness, add more ketchup and brown sugar to taste.
 
AlbuQue said:
I like using this on pulled pork:



1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Stir all ingredients in small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Makes about 2 cups. Unlike sauces from Texas and Kansas City, this sauce from South Carolina's Piedmont area is thin and vinegary. Note that it is not cooked. To tone down the tartness, add more ketchup and brown sugar to taste.
Click to expand...
That the one I use also it good on anything
 
Try Apple Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, chopped red onion, chopped garlic, some crushed red pepper and a couple anchovies, mix together and let sit in the fridge for a couple days. Then strian out the solids and add a little ketchup or tomato sauce and brown sugar. For a shortcut, you can make it all at once and use worsy sauce to add some anchovy flavor, but it tastes different. It's good both way in my opinion.
 
Some real good sounding recipes listed above. If it was me, Blues Hog Tenn. Red. Saves me time and well recieved by most that try it. Personally I turn sweet pork in contests, Tenn. Red for home and catering. Steve.
 
thirdeye's recipe is a good looking North Carolina Sauce, most people start with something like that and then put their own secrets to it from there. While I am sure that recipe alone is good I would add some lemon juice, garlic and rosemary. You can take it further than that, it's what's fun about bbq, creating your own signature.
 
I'm also big fan of Blues Hog Tenn. Red, but I do like a good mustard sauce too. I also have made a Bastardized Piedmont sauce from a recipe that was floating around the internet. Not too sure about the vinegar to finished sauce ratio in these recipes, but both were very good.
 
Do I what? NO. My pork scores rather well. Brown sugar works for me. In comps. it is the first bite that counts and I don't want any judge puckering up with too much vinegar. I am in the midwest, which dictates a sweeter approach than in the SE part of the country.However many pros say, cook the same in all regions. Which is sweet for me. Steve.
 
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