Anatomy of a sauce

[shock]

Reading Midnight's post in the "Let's talk sauce" thread made me think about something...

Everyone has a recipie for their favorite sauce, but what is the process they go by when making it... What do you look for a different stages?

For example, in chili, spice flavorings can be cooked off, so you always add a finishing round before serving to give aroma. In beer making, you use hops to give body, but then you have to use finishing hops to give the boutique...

So for all you sauce experts out there (like Midnight and Parrothead) what is the "PROCESS" that you go through when making your sauce?

You can talk about making it withouht giving away the ingredients (but we won't complain if you let a secret or 3 outta the bag)!!

 

[parrothead]

boutique...

you mean bouquet, by any chance?

 

[shock]

boutique...

you mean bouquet, by any chance?

Right!! I should have stuck with aroma :lol:

 

[midnight]

Usually when your mixing up a batch you are heating it as you mix it and you have to remember that it will taste different when it is cold than when it is hot. It may also get thicker as it cools, so you want to do some test batches.
I belive that most spices should be added at the end of the process so you don't cook out the flavor. And let your sauce sit for 24 hours in the fridge to let the flavors blend before tasting.
Alot of it depends on what you use for ingredients, sugars can burn if added too soon, spices can lose flavors if they cook too long, a sauce that uses butter should not be made with magarine as it can seperate, if adding fruit use only the freshest you can find, when adding whiskey don't do "one for the sauce and one for me... two for the sauce and two for me." or by the third batch you will be adding the ribs right into the sauce and wondering why you cant get the *#%*#! sauce to go into the farking sauce bottle which is realy your kids sippy cup but you figure if he wants a drink he can get it from the toilet like the dumb dog does!

 

[texashaze]

I make my own sauce with a ketchup base. Add all the liquids in a saucepan on low heat first - ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke, tabasco, molassis, and worchester. Cover and keep the heat low to prevent burning. Bring to a low simmer then add the dry spices. Retain the low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then let it cool to room temp and refrigerate. As someone said earlier refrigerating and storing for a day lets the flavor come out. I make big batches once a month. The vinegar helps that stuff keeps awhile.

texashaze

 

[BigAl]

The above two post is why I buy Head Country!

 

[shock]

Yeah, I've noticed they always taste better after cooling for a day or so....

 

[BigAl]

_________________
shock

There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives.

:shock: :lol: or an early application of