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Barbecue sauce

St. Louis–style barbecue involves slow open grilling until done, then simmering in a pan of barbecue sauce placed on the grill.
Type	Condiment
Place of origin	United States
Main ingredients	Vinegar, tomato paste, or ketchup
Ingredients generally used	Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, spices such as mustard and black pepper, mayonnaise, and sugar or molasses
Cookbook: Barbecue sauce   Media: Barbecue sauce

Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork, beef, and chicken. It is a ubiquitous condiment in the Southern United States and is used on many other foods as well.

Ingredients vary, but most include vinegar or tomato paste (or a combination) as a base, as well as Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, spices such as mustard and black pepper, and sweeteners such as sugar or molasses.

History

Some place the origin of barbecue sauce at the formation of the first American colonies in the 17th century. References to the sauce start occurring in both English and French literature over the next two hundred years. South Carolina mustard sauce, a type of barbecue sauce, can be traced to German settlers in the 18th century.

Early homemade barbecue sauces were made with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce started to be used in the 1920s, but after World War II, the quantity of sugar and the number of ingredients increased dramatically.

The Georgia Barbecue Sauce Company of Atlanta advertised an early commercially produced barbecue sauce in 1909. Heinz was the first major company to sell bottled barbecue sauce in 1940. Soon afterward, General Foods introduced "Open Pit". Kraft Foods only entered the market in around 1960, but with heavy advertising, succeeded in becoming the market leader. Kraft also started making cooking oils with bags of spice attached, supplying another market entrance of barbecue sauce.

Variations

Different geographical regions have allegiances to their particular styles and variations of barbecue sauce.

East Carolina

Most American barbecue sauces can trace their roots to a sauce common in the eastern regions of North Carolina and South Carolina. The simplest and the earliest, it was popularized by enslaved Africans who also advanced the development of American barbecue, and originally was made with vinegar, ground black pepper, and hot chili pepper flakes. It is used as a "mopping" sauce to baste the meat while it is cooking and as a dipping sauce when it is served. "Thin, spicy, and vinegar based," it penetrates the meat and cuts the fats in the mouth, with a noticeably tarter flavor than most other barbecue sauces.

Western Carolina

In Lexington and the Piedmont areas of western North Carolina, the sauce is often called a dip. It is similar to the East Carolina sauce with the addition of tomato paste, tomato sauce, or ketchup.

South Carolina mustard sauce

Part of South Carolina is known for its yellow barbecue sauces made primarily of yellow mustard, vinegar, sugar and spices. This sauce is most common in a belt from Columbia to Charleston.

Memphis

Similar to the Western Carolina style, but using molasses as a sweetener and with additional spices. It is usually served as a dipping sauce, as Memphis-style barbecue is typically a dry rub.

Kansas City

Thick, reddish-brown, tomato-based, and made with sugar, vinegar, and spices. It evolved from the Western Carolina– and Memphis-style sauces but is thicker and sweeter and does not penetrate the meat as much as it sits on the surface.

Typical commercial barbecue sauce is based on the Kansas City style.

Texas

In some of the older, more traditional restaurants, the sauces are heavily seasoned with cumin, chili peppers or chili powder, black pepper, and fresh onion, while using less tomato and sugar. They are medium thick and often resemble a thin tomato soup. They penetrate the meat easily rather than sit on top. Bottled barbecue sauces from Texas are often different from those used in the same restaurants because they do not contain meat drippings.

Alabama white sauce

North Alabama is known for its distinctive white sauce, a mayonnaise-based sauce that also includes apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper, which is used predominantly on chicken and pork.

See also

• Barbacoa
• Brown sauce
• Ketchup
• List of barbecue dishes
• Dip (food) § List of common dips
• List of sauces
• Marination
• Red sauce
• Regional variations of barbecue
• Steak sauce

References

1. Michelle Moran (2005-03-01). "Category Analysis: Condiments". The Gourmet Retailer. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
2. "BBQ sauce". The Washington post.
3. Bob Garner (1996). North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time. John F. Blair. p. 160. ISBN 0-89587-152-1.
4. ^ Lake E. High Jr. (2019). "A Very Brief History of the Four Types of Barbeque Found In the USA". South Carolina Barbeque Association. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
5. ^ Robert F. Moss (2010). Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. University of Alabama Press. pp. 189–190.
6. "Georgia Barbecue Sauce" (advertisement), Atlanta Constitution, January 31, 1909, as reproduced in Moss, Barbecue
7. Bruce Bjorkman (1996). The Great Barbecue Companion: Mops, Sops, Sauces, and Rubs. Ten Speed Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-89594-806-0.
8. Moss, Robert F. (2010). Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780817317188.
9. "Eastern NC barbecue is healthier than western". WRAL-TV. July 11, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
10. https://abcnews4.com/news/local/south-carolina-mustard-sauce-ranked-no-15-in-latest-bbq-poll-wings-south-carolina-sauces-abc-news-4-2024
11. https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/sunny-south-carolina-sauce-brightens-barbecue-with-golden-blaze-mustard
12. ^ James, Cleo (September 6, 2013). "Kansas City BBQ vs. Memphis BBQ – What's the Difference?". Retrieved November 6, 2022.
13. Daniel Vaughn (2014). "All About the Sauce". TexasMonthly. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020.
14. HEINZ (2019). "Heinz Texas Style Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce, 19.5 oz Bottle". Kraft-Heinz. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
15. Cary, Josh & Jackson, Chef Tom. (Aug 10, 2018). Cooking With Fire: Alabama White Sauce, KMUW 89.1 Wichita Public Radio, Wichita, KS.

v t e Marinades
Topics	Adobo Philippine adobo Barbecue sauce Chermoula Chimichurri Huli-huli Italian dressing Salmorejo Teriyaki Vinaigrette
See also	Adobada

v t e Condiments
List of condiments List of common dips List of syrups
Sauces	Agre dulce Agrodolce Aioli Barbecue sauce Bigarade sauce Brown sauce Buffalo sauce Cheese sauce Alfredo sauce Caruso sauce Cheddar sauce Cheez Whiz Fondue Mornay sauce Nacho cheese Chili sauce Chimichurri Cocktail sauce Colo-colo Crema Caruru Dabu-dabu Fish sauce Fritessaus Fry sauce Garum Gastrique Gravy Hot sauce Latik Khrenovina Lechon sauce Marie Rose sauce Mayonnaise Kewpie Kielecki Miracle Whip Mignonette sauce Mild sauce Monkey gland sauce Mumbo sauce Oyster sauce Peanut sauce Pearà Pesto Pistou Remoulade Salsa golf Salsa verde Satsivi Steak sauce Tartar sauce Tatbila Teriyaki sauce Tiparos Tkemali Tomato sauce Vincotto XO sauce Zingara sauce
Dips	Ajika Baba ghanoush Chile con queso Duck sauce Duqqa Garlic chive flower sauce Guacamole Hogao Honey dill Hummus Muhammara Nam chim Nam phrik Nước chấm Skyronnes Sweet chili sauce Toum Tzatziki Zhug
Pickles and preserves	Amba Atchara Cheong Chutney Green mango chutney Curtido Encurtido Fruit preserves Gari Horseradish Ljutenica Pepper jelly Piccalilli Pickled cucumber Pickled fruit Relish Chicago-style relish Sauerkraut Kimchi Sumbala Taba ng talangka Tomato jam Watermelon rind preserves
Spreads and pastes	Ajvar Anchovy paste Bagoong Biber salçası Beurre Maître d'Hôtel Chili paste Chrain Coconut jam Fish paste Gochujang Liver spread Kyopolou Maafe Malidzano Meat extract Bovril Murri Nut butter Palapa Pindjur Roe Caviar Sahawiq Tapai Wasabi Yeast extract Marmite Vegemite Zacuscă
Oils and liquids	Chili oil Halford Leicestershire Table Sauce Mustard oil Olive oil Patis Perilla oil Ponzu Salmoriglio Sesame oil Soy sauce Soup soy sauce Sweet soy sauce Toyomansi Syrup Worcestershire sauce Tonkatsu sauce
Spices and powders	Asín tibuok Chipotle Crushed red pepper Gomashio MSG Nutritional yeast Paprika Popcorn seasoning Salt and pepper Tekka Za'atar
Salads	Carolina style Coleslaw Kachumbari Kachumber Salsa Pico de gallo Salsa criolla
Dressings	Blue cheese dressing French dressing Ginger dressing Green goddess dressing Italian dressing Louis dressing Mayfair salad dressing Ranch dressing Russian dressing Salad cream Tahini Thousand Island Vinaigrette Wafu dressing
Ketchups	Banana ketchup Curry ketchup Fruit ketchup Mushroom ketchup
Mustards	Dijon mustard Honey mustard Karashi Kasundi Mostarda Spicy brown mustard Creole mustard Sweet mustard Tecuci mustard Tewkesbury mustard Turun sinappi Yellow mustard
Vinegars	Apple cider vinegar Balsamic vinegar Balsamic vinegar of Modena Black vinegar Kaong palm vinegar Malt vinegar Nipa palm vinegar
List articles	Accompaniments to french fries Brand name condiments Chutneys Fish pastes Fish sauces Indian condiments Indonesian condiments Japanese condiments Mayonnaises Mustard brands Hot sauces Pakistani condiments Philippine condiments Pickled foods
Accoutrements	Cruet-stand Sachet Salt and pepper shakers Squeeze bottle

• Barbecue sauces
• Marinades