Sauce?

[Pack-A-Smokes]

We use BH in a mixture for one meat. I have done well with my own sauce and purchased sauces. I can honestly say when I started competing I was also surprised that more teams did not make their own sauce, but after just one year I saw how letting someone else do the work made sense.
I agree there are way too many great sauces and rubs for me to spend my time trying to better what is already out there.

 

[gcbbqboy]

We cooked at Kettering this past weekend, we have competed about ten times, this time we used BH (as a base) and placed 18th -our best showing...didnt really change anything else.........we are by no means experts...but using the BH seemed to put us moving in the right direction......prior contests we used 100% homemade btw had a great time !!!

Chicks N Pigs BBQ Team

 

[BoneDaddy's]

Ok I just have to say it. Why in the world would you enter in a comp and use a store bought sauce on your food. If you are using store bought sauces and rubs then you can not call it your own. In my opinion a true pit master would come up with his own recipes. Like the judge said above he gets tired of tasting the same old sauce. Half the fun to cooking is the recipe development process. Turn the corner and be a pioneer. Happy smoking!

I bet that 70-75% of teams use sauce they did not personally make

 

[Rigger12]

I agree, I have been making my own sauces and rubs from the get go...in my opinion and my opinion only, I just felt that if you're going to compete in a contest the entire entry should be something you created. I recently learned that most teams are using store bought rubs and sauces as well as injections....keeping their meat moist. Guess it's gone from being the best cook wins to who can buy the most chemicals and preservatives to enhance their meats flavour.
Nothing against teams who do this, don't get me wrong, I honestly didn't realize that this was taking place for the first two years of our team competing and it is a little frustrating for me trying to do everything from scratch and at times beating the teams who just use store bought stuff.

 

[Smitty250]

Like several teams - when I started competing I tried using my own homemade sauce and rubs It did OK - not great. After several comps I started using a couple commercial sauces and rubs that I doctor up. Honestly I do not have the time to prepare my own sauce and rubs from scratch before each comp. and with the explosion of competitive BBQ there are so many commercial sauces and rubs that are top notch. I still like to experiment using commercial stuff as a base and add my own uniqueness to it.

 

[big matt]

Like several teams - when I started competing I tried using my own homemade sauce and rubs It did OK - not great. After several comps I started using a couple commercial sauces and rubs that I doctor up. Honestly I do not have the time to prepare my own sauce and rubs from scratch before each comp. and with the explosion of competitive BBQ there are so many commercial sauces and rubs that are top notch. I still like to experiment using commercial stuff as a base and add my own uniqueness to it.

Exactly..let's look at the top 25 in the KCBS rankings..my guess is that at least 80%(maybe more)use commercial rubs and sauces and doctor them to what they want..let's say you take BH as a base and add 10 other things to it..is it still commercial?.IMO at that point it's just another ingredient.

 

[pmanzi]

Whats SBR?

 

[Smitty250]

Sweet Baby Ray's or Sweet Baby James/Sour Baby James in the case of Left Coast Q!!

 

[big matt]

Sweet Baby Ray's or Sweet Baby James/Sour Baby James in the case of Left Coast Q!!

Now that made me laugh so hard I almost choked..and it depends how much he's had to drink the night before as to which one you'll get.

 

[Rigger12]

I have to agree with the time component, I'm fortunate enough that I do have the time allotted that I can mess around with sauces and such.
For me personally, I find it that much more satisfying when I win a category, or even just hear my name called for that matter, knowing that start to finish was my product.
And for those who suggested raising your own meat (even though that was a smart a** comment), how cool would that be to raise your own pig, feed it the best product possible, butcher it and smoke it. I know it's overboard but that's one of the things on my list of things to try doing...now it's just getting the wife on board with it!

 

[qsyourdaddy]

I would use Drapers Smokin Sauce and cut it with Agave to make a glaze. Cant do straight BH. too sweet.

 

[Big Ron]

I use my own, Big Ron's BBQ Sauce.

 

[Smitty250]

I thought you would like that Matt!

 

[Smitty250]

how cool would that be to raise your own pig, feed it the best product possible, butcher it and smoke it. I know it's overboard but that's one of the things on my list of things to try doing...now it's just getting the wife on board with it!

I have joked with BBQ friends about buying a cow or pig and feeding it Butchers Injections for a few years then using it in a comp. No need to inject it!

 

[rooftop bbq]

I have joked with BBQ friends about buying a cow or pig and feeding it Butchers Injections for a few years then using it in a comp. No need to inject it!

what about starving a few chickens so we dont have to scrape skins

 

[Willie's Smokehouse]

i would use drapers smokin sauce and cut it with agave to make a glaze. Cant do straight bh. Too sweet.

^^^^^^^ +1

 

[Bourbon Barrel BBQ]

I agree, I have been making my own sauces and rubs from the get go...in my opinion and my opinion only, I just felt that if you're going to compete in a contest the entire entry should be something you created. I recently learned that most teams are using store bought rubs and sauces as well as injections....keeping their meat moist. Guess it's gone from being the best cook wins to who can buy the most chemicals and preservatives to enhance their meats flavour.
Nothing against teams who do this, don't get me wrong, I honestly didn't realize that this was taking place for the first two years of our team competing and it is a little frustrating for me trying to do everything from scratch and at times beating the teams who just use store bought stuff.

Whats that say about the sauces and rubs you're making if its getting smoked by "store bought stuff?"

 

[Bourbon Barrel BBQ]

I would use Drapers Smokin Sauce and cut it with Agave to make a glaze. Cant do straight BH. too sweet.

Are you cooking for yourself or the judges?

 

[Rigger12]

Whats that say about the sauces and rubs you're making if its getting smoked by "store bought stuff?"

Who says we are getting smoked with what we use? Do you win every competition you go into?
I can tell you I place well on a consistent basis, win some lose some...but doing it with my own stuff and having fun with it.
I guess I'm in it for the wrong reasons then.

 

[Bourbon Barrel BBQ]

Who says we are getting smoked with what we use? Do you win every competition you go into?
I can tell you I place well on a consistent basis, win some lose some...but doing it with my own stuff and having fun with it.
I guess I'm in it for the wrong reasons then.

Never said it was for the wrong reasons. I get tired of reading these post by teams that lose because of (insert excuse here). The top teams could post their rub/sauce recipe online and still beat 99% of the people on this site. Its always they use a special cooker, they use electronics, they use store bought this or that. Im sorry if you took the brunt of this rant but somebody always assumes that their ego and sense of pride is whats holding them back from winning. Its not.