Pro Staff Article - The Secret Of The Sauce

The Secret of the Sauce

The Secret of the Sauce

The Secret of the Sauce For many years, when asked about my "Big Joe's BBQ Sauce," I've just smiled and replied that the recipe is top secret. Actually, however, my secret is simply "don't take any shortcuts and don't go cheap!" But now the folks at Camp Chef have convinced me that my sauce recipe needs to be shared, so I am giving everyone the basics for your own "Big (fill in your name)'s BBQ Sauce." You can also call it "Little (fill in your name)'s BBQ Sauce" if that is more appropriate or makes you feel better about yourself. Basic Homemade BBQ Sauce 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups beef bouillon 1 cup (8 oz. can) tomato paste 1/2 cup yellow mustard (liquid) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup vinegar 1/8 cup liquid smoke 1 tablespoon black pepper 1/2 cup brown sugar Put this all together in no particular order in a large saucepan, bring almost to a boil, and simmer until it is almost the consistency you desire (an hour on a slow simmer won’t hurt and will actually help blend the flavors). The sauce will thicken as it cools; but before you turn off the heat, you will want to taste the sauce and determine your own custom modifications. Is the above our actual Big Joe's BBQ Sauce recipe? NO. Kathy and I started with this and then tweaked the ingredients until we found just what we wanted. So go this far and then have some fun. What to add? You can take your favorite of the ingredients above and increase its amount by up to 50 percent. There are also several things you can add to make this sauce distinctly your own, including chili powder, honey (Kathy's favorite), hot peppers, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Get the idea? Everybody has a different taste, and you should make your sauce reflect yours. For example, if you love the hot stuff, you could put hot peppers or Tabasco in the sauce (but this doesn't appeal to me). Always write down what you have done so when you find that perfect Big Elmer's BBQ Sauce, you'll be able to repeat it. When do you put the sauce on the meat? If you like the flavor of burnt BBQ sauce (I am not aware of anyone who does), then put it on at the beginning. If you prefer to have the sauce warm and incorporated into the smoked meat flavor, then about 30 to 45 minutes before you are ready to remove the meat from the smoker, set the smoker temperature below 200 degrees and baste the meat with the sauce. There is also another school of thought (mine) that the meat may be just right without any sauce. The reason you have smoked this meat is to not only cook it, but to also add that wonderful smoky flavor. The lucky person who gets to savor the meat can determine whether to lather on some of your sauce when the meat is served. Some end pieces are often so tasty that adding anything would be criminal. I hope you'll try the sauce and develop your claim to fame with your own custom version. Stay tuned for "All Loins Are Not Sirs" and, until then, have fun smoking (meat, that is). Big Joe