Carolina BBQ sauce

[johngalt]

This weekend I decided to do a pork shoulder roast in my dutch oven for pulled pork.

I sometimes find the traditional BBQ sauce way too thick and heavy on the sugar, especially the bottled stuff. I remember trying a NC style vinegar based sauce and liking it, so thought I would try making it.

After much searching, this is the recipe I used:

2 cups apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.

I found it to be way too hot, so I diluted it by adding more vinegar, lemon juice, and brown sugar. It was still too hot. After some more reading, honey is supposed to help tame the heat, so added some.

I think it is decent, but not great. Not like the restaurant sauce that I've had. Seems like it is missing something.

Next time I'm thinking of adding some mustard, to bring it closer to a South Carolina style. Some of the recipes add butter, I'm not sure about that one.

Any suggestions?

 

[BearBio]

Well, it's from Carolina and it is a sauce.....two out of three ain't bad, as Meatloaf would say!

 

[URIT]

No wonder is was hot.
Try 2C ACV, juice from 1 lemon, 2Tbs Dk Brn Sugar, 1Tbs Ketchup, 1/2tsp Ceyenne, 1tsp red pepper flakes, and 1tsp each salt and pepper.

 

[Rustyt1953]

When I lived in NC I often drove to Greensboro for Stamey's BBQ. They sold their bottled sauce so I usually stocked up. Over the years I would occasionally have friends send me some until I found this recipe:

Stamey's BBQ/dip sauce:

1 cup ketchup, preferably Heinz
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Pinch ground red pepper

 

[SC_Mike]

Great, now I'm hungry...

 

[andy52]

Didn't get to taste it but that recipe doesn't seem all that hot to me.
What kind of hot sauce did you use?

 

[DeathGrip]

Want to try something different? Add Mojo to the pot, you wont need BBQ sauce.

 

[Eddietruett]

I think black pepper works better in BBQ sauce than Cayenne. Around here most people just use ACV with salt and black pepper, a little Ketchup (Heinz is the norm), little Worcestershire and if desired a touch of brown sugar. The vast majority of people who make sauce just put too much stuff in it. This is one case where you KISS. BTW, John Boy and Billy (radio show) have some sauces that are worth trying. The grilling sauce is very good as well as the Eastern NC BBQ Sauce. I have found that both are really tasty.

 

[johngalt]

No wonder is was hot.
Try 2C ACV, juice from 1 lemon, 2Tbs Dk Brn Sugar, 1Tbs Ketchup, 1/2tsp Ceyenne, 1tsp red pepper flakes, and 1tsp each salt and pepper.

I think my mistake was the 1 tbsp of cayenne - I was thinking it must be a typo, but maybe it was needed to counteract the acid from the vinegar.

 

[johngalt]

When I lived in NC I often drove to Greensboro for Stamey's BBQ. They sold their bottled sauce so I usually stocked up. Over the years I would occasionally have friends send me some until I found this recipe:

Stamey's BBQ/dip sauce:

1 cup ketchup, preferably Heinz
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Pinch ground red pepper

Thanks, I'll try that out next time.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm in the.....

I'm in the 'Mustard Belt'.

 

[llowry61]

A tablespoon of Cayenne will go a long way and the crushed red pepper can add some heat as well. I don't like too much heat so I generally cut way back on either one of them in a recipe. I like the cracked black pepper. Flavorful, but not the intense heat that doesn't agree with me.

 

[oink]

Yeah, I also like the version with some mustard.

 

[tops]

Add 2 cups of ketchup and I would also add some molasses or more brown sugar to sweeten it up. Larry

 

[sheepdawg]

I'm from Memphis, they make BBQ in Carolina???

 

[TheHobbyist]

Instead of cayenne used smoked cumin. Trust me on this. No need for ketchup, use whole peeled tomatoes instead. YMMV.

 

[joe44va]

Mine:
1/4 cup Heinz Catsup
1/4 cup Frenches yellow mustard
1/4 cup Black Strap Molasses
1/4 dry vermouth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Some black pepper
1 cup Irish whisky
Drink the Irish while mixing up the other stuff.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I also thought Carolina Sauce was a Mustard Sauce?

 

[tops]

I also thought Carolina Sauce was a Mustard Sauce?

The real and best Carolina Sauce has ketchup. The down east is mostly pepper an vinegar. The down east is good but it is a long way from the real and best.
Bar-B-Q slaw has ketchup in it. For people that like white slaw for Bar-B-Q all I can say is "bless your heart". Larry

 

[Mr.Harry]

I’m no Carolinian nor a BBQ expert, but looking at the OP’s recipe i’d say for sure it’s missing SOME tomato product element; be that ketchup, tomato paste or sauce, something. Not tons of it but some. Could even try Heinz chili sauce. I too, would touch it with Worcestershire. The nice thing with using ketchup is it’s already bringing some sugar/sweet to the mix. witj