Photo by Kyle Kurlick, Memphis Commercial Appeal

Grail Note:  Since I’m visiting Memphis for the World Barbecue Championships I found this article by Jennifer Biggs of the Commercial Appeal, to be not only timely but very much an eye opener.  The thoughts expressed by these well known experts are quite revealing.

In barbecue as in life, it’s all about balance. Take sauce: Too much vinegar, and it’s only fit for basting. Too much pepper, and it burns your mouth.

Although when you’re at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest Thursday through Saturday in Tom Lee Park, you’ll hear again and again that when you come to Memphis, you’ve got to be ready to bring on the sugar, you can get too much of a good thing.

To compensate for sweetness, you’ve got to have spice and acidity. Otherwise, you might as well have ketchup.

And the balance isn’t about just the sauce, so let’s start at the beginning.

Read the rest of the article here.

Plain old yellow mustard becomes the star ingredient of Georgia-Carolinas barbecue sauce.

The same mustard smeared on hot dogs for decades pairs up with cider vinegar in this no-tomato sauce. This is definitely not the tomato-molasses with which readers may be more familiar.

Some 15 or 20 years ago, there was a barbecue restaurant on Pass Road in Biloxi, Miss., that served the mustard-based sauce.

Reader Bonnie Lingel had the mustard sauce on pulled pork and thought it was delicious. She asked for readers’ help in finding recipes for this barbecue sauce.

“On a daylily garden tour, it was served in squirt bottles to use on pulled pork,” said Lingel. “There was no tomato in it, and it was delicious.”

Some chefs, professional and home, believe that the mustard-based sauce brings out the best in any meat that is barbecued. Typically, it is served with pork.

Readers have weighed in with different variations of the sauce. Most use yellow mustard and cider vinegar, but a few use Dijon mustard for an extra kick and honey or molasses for a bit of sweetness. A majority of the Georgia-Carolinas sauces are not sweet; however, small amounts of sugar are added to some. Some go easy on the spices; others do not. One Carolina sauce that readers Jack V. Moore and Dora Harrison sent in even adds light brown sugar and Liquid Smoke. Lingel, these sauces are for you. Let me know which one you prefer.

“This is a classic Carolina-style barbecue sauce,”

If you’ve read The BBQ Grail for very long you know by now that I love BBQ sauce but only in a way that compliments the meat.  I know from experience that when people say I love the flavor of BBQ they usually mean they love the BBQ sauce that was served.  When I try a sauce you won’t find me drenching the meat in sauce. Because I use so little sauce it’s important that the flavors pop without being over powering. For me, it’s all about the meat, not the sauce.

Dimples BBQ Sauce is one of those sauces that has great flavor yet it doesn’t make you wonder where the meat went.  There is a nice fruity taste with just the right amount of vinegar to tingle the tongue.  The initial combination of flavors is a bit strong but since it fades off the tongue you don’t get the feeling that it’s coating your tongue.

This is a tomato based BBQ sauce.  It appears from the ingredient list that the tomato base is from ketchup.  This means one of the ingredients is high fructose corn syrup.  I mention this only for those that are on the no HFCS bandwagon.  For me I don’t care if it’s in my BBQ sauce.  As a matter of fact that’s probably why I like the sweetness in the sauce so much. (Note: If you’re on that no HFCS bandwagon I mentioned please don’t leave me comments about it.  I’ll just delete them…) (New Note: Since publication Dimples has informed me that the next batch will no longer contain HFCS)

My normal process for testing a new BBQ sauce is with ribs.  I try to keep the playing field equal so I have a fair comparison between the different sauces.  And because I really love ribs.  This time around I, sort of, varied from this process.  I had some rib trimmings in the freezer from the last time I cooked ribs.  So I did use ribs I just pulled the meat off the bones and chopped it up for chopped meat sandwiches.  Dimples tasted great on the sandwich and I especially liked the pourability of the sauce.  One of the things I noticed about the sauce was that it didn’t turn into a watery consistency when heated.  It stayed someone “firm” and didn’t just soak down through the meat.  For me this is how I want my sauce on pork sammies.

There are two reasons to buy Dimples BBQ Sauce.  The first reason is it tastes good and I think you’ll like it.  The second reason is that Dimples BBQ supports “Operation BBQ” a great organization that provides meals for those who have suffered at the hands of natural disasters.  Dimples BBQ Sauce is available in a variety of stores in North Carolina or online.

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Whether you are braving the cold and prepping your BBQ ribs outside on the grill or opt to use Easy Peasy BBQ Insurance for the kitchen, BBQ Sauces are a must have for any barbecue meal.

The irresistibly of BBQ sauce, however, often seeps into our clothes and can leave a mark that could be tough to get out.  The key is catching the problem early in order to generate an Easy Peasy solution later.

Check out these tips to removing your BBQ sauce stain nightmare.

Step 1. Remove as much of the excess barbecue sauce as possible from the fabric.

Step 2. Run the fabric under cold running water (not warmer water), letting the water run over the back of the stain so it does not spread it further.

Step 3. Rub a liquid detergent into the stained portion of the fabric. Work it in gently.

Step 4. If the garment is white, or you have tested it for colorfastness, apply a mild bleaching agent like hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with a sponge. You can also use lemon juice (Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy) on white fabrics. Rinse well.

Step 5. Repeat with detergent followed by mild bleaching agent until the stain no longer appears.

Step 6. Apply a stain remover stick, gel, or spray and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes.

 Step 7. Pretreat with a laundry stain remover and wash as normal.

Step 8. If the stain remains, rub detergent into the stain and soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Rinse well. Make sure before you place the item in the dryer that the stain is completely removed. If it is not then do not place in the dryer, as it will set the stain.

Step 9. If the stain remains, apply stain remover stick, gel, or spray and launder according to directions.

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Unforgettable is a very bold claim when it comes to a BBQ sauce.  I’m always skeptical of products that boast of being “world-famous” or “world’s best” so David’s Unforgettable Balsamic Barbecue Sauce was a product I just had to try it.  And I was skeptical of the unforgettable claim…at least until the sauce arrived.

I love balsamic vinegar and if you think about it the sweet and tart vinegar taste should be perfect for BBQ.  And the Balsamic Barbecue Sauce from David’s Unforgettables is a sauce that I am looking forward to using again.

There are two “flavors” of “David’s Unforgettables Balsamic Barbecue Sauce,”: Mild and Spicy.  I gave both a try and for my tastes the Spicy is the only way to go.  The combination of pepper along with the some mustard enhances the tang of the balsamic vinegar.  The vinegar flavor is not overpowering, but you are able to taste it.

Balsamic vinegar is normally made by aging unfermented grape juice in barrels for several years.  The aging process concentrates the flavors and not only produces a vinegar flavor but because of the aging process the sweetness of the grapes is increased.  It’s this sweetness, when combined with some added molasses, gives the barbecue sauce a unique flavor that will enhance almost anything you have on your BBQ pit or grill.

The sauce not only tastes good, but it looks good on ribs too.  I know for a lot of people the look of the food put on the table is important.  The eyes “taste” the food before the taste buds do and the balsamic BBQ sauce from David’s Unforgettables provides a nice caramelized look (and flavor) when cooked.  One of the next things I’m going to do is onions caramelized in this sauce on a grilled burger.  I’m pretty confident this is going to taste as good as the ribs do.

Is the balsamic vinegar BBQ sauce from David’s Unforgettables actually unforgettable.  It’s pretty darn close.  Every since using it I’ve thought about it a lot.  There aren’t many sauces in my sauce refrigerator that have been good enough to get to thinking of interesting ways to use it.  So I guess in a manner of speaking it is…unforgettable.

David’s Unforgettables Balsamic Vinegar Barbecue Sauce is available online.

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If you’d like to hear a discussion on regional sauces, our favorite sauces and other topics, along with some interesting down home humor then hit the link and give it a listen.

Listen To Podcast

If you’re interested in learning all about the ends and outs of the Hot Sauce World then regular visits to The Hot Sauce Weekly is where you should spend your time.  A giant thank you to Brian and Marilyn Meagher for allowing me the chance to be on their show.

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Shirley J is a Utah based food company that develops and sells quality “no fail, just add water” food products.  I’m not sure about any of the other food products but the BBQ sauce rocks.  I love this stuff and no one is more surprised than I am.  The first time around I followed the directions and mixed the powder 50/50 with water.  I can’t wait to do some experiments by mixing with other liquids.  Fruit juices, tomato based products and the possibilities with Asian flavors is endless.

“Shirley J BBQ Sauce is as simple as it is savory. Just add water, and use with meat or vegetables, as a rub or marinade and on burgers and fries. Sugar and spice and flavor to your liking, or serve the BBQ sauce as-is; Shirley J always promises a no-fuss process.

Shirley J BBQ Sauce can be mixed as an ingredient or dressed as a condiment. Try our flavor varieties below!”

The sauce comes in powdered form mixed 50/50 with water.  Not really sure what is in the powder but the combination of spices and flavorings is excellent and should match up with just about any seasoning, spices or rubs you might use on your BBQ.

When I first mixed the powder in thee water I was a little concerned with how thin it was, but as it heated on the stove it thickened right up into a perfect consistency.

It would be easy to thin this up add some honey or marmalade to give you a nice glaze for just about anything.  The sauce mix comes in 12 oz and 48 oz sizes and I think at least the small one is worth the investment for a try.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

What I came up with was Pork Belly with Peanut Butter & Banana BBQ Sauce.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate peanut butter into a BBQ sauce but coming up with a way to get bananas into the sauce was more of a challenge.  The banana challenge lead to some very interesting exchanges with owners of the Asian markets in the Sacramento area.

Vinegar is often times a key ingredient in BBQ sauces.  A quick googling of “banana” and “vinegar” let me to the discovery of a product found in Japan and the Phillippines–Banana Vinegar.  Banana Vinegar was just the ticket I needed.  Since the product was all over the internet I figured I would have little trouble locating it.  However, after getting laughed at in several of the largest Asian markets in the Sacramento area I asked my BBQ buddy “Landarc” to find me some Banana Vinegar.

Since Landarc is Japanese and knows every Asian market in the San Francisco Bay Area he’d have no trouble finding it.  Well, after also getting him laughed at in several markets I gave up the search and decided to make my own banana infused vinegar.

Banana Infused Rice Vinegar

• 1 12 oz bottle Rice Vinegar
• Peels from 2 bananas

Slice the banana peels into thin slices that will fit through the neck of the rice vinegar bottle.  Grill the banana peels on a medium hot grill until the peels start to turn brown and the oils from the peels start to come out.

Empty the rice vinegar into a small sauce pan and warm the vinegar slightly.  Fill the empty bottle with the grilled peel slices.

When all the peels are in the bottle fill the bottle with the warmed vinegar.  The grilled peels along with the warmed vinegar should allow the banana flavors to infuse into the vinegar.

Put the lid back on the bottle.  When the bottle has cooled to room temperature store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.  Does it really need a couple of weeks?  Who knows, I’m winging it all at this point.

I used rice vinegar because I figured it would allow the banana flavors to stand out a little more than if I used the stronger apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.  I’m not sure if it worked because the flavor of the vinegar did change but it didn’t taste like banana.  But the thought was there.

But wait!  There’s more!

After going through the whole banana vinegar process it dawned on me that there was a much easier way to get the banana into the meal.  Banana Sauce!  What a simple solution that is.  And to make matters even worse I had a bottle of banana sauce in my pantry the whole time.

Banana ketchup or banana sauce is a popular Filipino condiment made from mashed banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Its natural color is brownish, so it is often dyed red to resemble tomato ketchup. Banana ketchup was made when there was a shortage of tomato ketchup during World War II, due to lack of tomatoes and a comparatively high production of bananas. –Courtesy of Wikipedia

And since the Peanut Butter BBQ Sauce contains ketchup I knew this would be a great way to get more banana into the meal.

Peanut Butter BBQ Sauce

• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup Banana Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite BBQ rub (I used Plowboy’s Yardbird Rub)
• 2 tablespoons Banana Infused Rice Vinegar

In a medium bowl stir all the ingredients together and set aside until ready to use.

Now that I’ve got the banana and peanut butter covered I decided that instead of bacon I would use pork belly.  Since pork belly is what bacon is made from I figured it was the perfect meat to use.

After removing the skin from the belly I lightly seasoned the belly with Yardbird Rub.  I put the pork belly into my Traeger with cherry pellets for 2 hours at 190 degrees.  I wanted the pork belly to take on some smoke but didn’t want it to cook much.

After taking on some smoke I put half the BBQ sauce on the pork belly and put it in a covered foil pan with some apple juice and braised it on my Char-Broil infrared grill for another two hours.  After two hours I turned the grill up to high and seared the belly to crisp it up and caramelize the sugars in the bbq sauce.  I brushed on the rest of the sauce and got a nice sear on it.

I served the Elvis Belly with grilled sweet potatoes and Cilantro Sauce.

Get yourself some sweet potatoes and wedge them into nice big hunks.  Brush the potato wedges with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill them on all sides until they are done.  Sounds pretty easy…because it is.

Cilantro Sauce

• 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons raw onion, grated
• 3 tablespoons salsa

Stir all the ingredients together until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Serve over the grilled sweet potatoes or as a dipping sauce.

I got a tweet from @nephewsbbq (Dylan Moody) asking if I’d like to have some samples of his BBQ sauces to try.  I told him I’d be happy to give them a taste.  A few days later a box arrived with jars of all six flavors.   I don’t normally review six BBQ sauces all at once, but I figured in this case it would be the best thing to do.  So I had a few friends over, cooked up some chicken drumettes and we taste tested all the sauces.

Nephews BBQ sauce is a gourmet line of bbq sauces where we pair the sweetness of fruit with the spiciness of chili peppers. The result is an award winning line of unique bbq sauces that will make you the king of your next backyard bbq or tailgate. Nephews started out as a wedding favor for friends and family at his wedding in 2009. The response was overwhelming and after winning an award in December Nephews BBQ Sauce was born. Once you try our sauce we are confident you will invite Nephews to all your bar-b-ques!

So here’s a compilation of the comments from five wing users over the course of an evening.  It’s interesting to note the degree of “heat” each of the taste testers could handle.  My comments about each sauce is marked in italics.

“SWEET THUNDER”:

It’s not a surprise that all of four of the taste testers thought this sauce was sweet.  Everyone considered the sauce to be mild.  Other comments included: “very smooth,” “good flavor,” “to sweet,” “no heat and good for everyone.”  A couple of the taster testers noticed a lot of vinegar.   For my tastes this sauce would be more of the traditional type of sauce I would use for pulled pork or chicken.  There is a taste of vinegar, and that’s not a bad thing, but it does have a tendency to stand out on lightly seasoned meats like chicken.  For someone not used to a vinegar type sauce they might have a problem with this.   This is a great everyday sauce.

“PEACHY ‘POTLE”:

For everyone the peach flavor popped right out on this sauce.  Comments: “Moderate heat,” very good flavor,” “nice peach,” “everyone would like this sauce.”  I tasted the peach right off.  This sauce would go with just about anything.  If you like fruit based sauces this is one you’ve got to try.  There’s not a lot of chipotle flavor and for most people that will be good.  For my tastes this is a moderate sauce.  But don’t think it’s “hot” because it’s not.  I’m just not sure what level is between mild and moderate.

“HABAN’ORANGE”:

Everyone got the orange in this sauce.  It’s not hidden at all.  Comments: “good tangy flavor,”  “very good flavor,” nice citrus,” “mild to sever heat,” “mild heat.”  WOW!  This sauce has some pucker power.  The citrus/orange just whacks you right up front and doesn’t go away.  I love this sauce.  Don’t let the habanero in the title, this sauce isn’t nearly as hot as other sauces on the market that use habanero.  I’d use this sauce on just about anything, but it’s going to be a staple for pulled pork and fish.

“ANGRY NEPHEW’S”:

Okay, this sauce just about killed one of my taste testers.  It’s the hottest of the bunch.  Comments: “burn baby burn…lips, tongue and throat,” “good flavor, nice afterburn,” “for people who want a hot flavor,” “a very nice kick to it.  Not outrageously strong but still a strong burn,” “not for wimps.”  This sauce is more of the traditional type “hot” BBQ sauce.  It’s nice but for me, when compared, to the others there’s not anything I would call special about it.

“CHERRY ‘POTLE”:

Just like the other fruit sauces the flavor of the fruit just jumped right out front and took charge for all the tasters.  Comments: “very strong cherry flavor,” “not much heat, small kick at the end,” “love the sweetness,” “mild.”  I found this sauce to be much like the peach sauce.  And that’s a good thing.  My two favorite woods to smoke with are peach and cherry and this sauce will compliment many of the dishes I like to cook.  Again, not a lot of the traditional chipotle flavor.

“GHOSTLY PUMPKIN”:

Pumpkin and Ghost Peppers!  This was the sauce we were all a little hesitant to try.  One of the hottest peppers on Earth combined with pumpkin, not your traditional BBQ sauce combination.  Comments: “slight pumpkin flavor,” “mild to warm,” “did not taste pumpkin,” “moderate heat,” “good pumpkin flavor,” “good spice flavors,” “nice mix of the pumpkin and pepper flavors.”  I expect the heat of this sauce to just kill every opportunity for the pumpkin flavor to be found.  Not true at all.  This is a mild to moderate hot BBQ sauce.  The pumpkin, for me, just popped.  When I tasted this sauce I immediately thought of Thanksgiving.  Weird, I know.  I really love this sauce.  It’s different, yet not so odd that it won’t go with your meats or side dishes.  I’ve had lots of non-traditional sauces (gimmick) and most of them aren’t meant to be taken seriously.  This sauce is seriously good.

Let me be honest here.  When Dylan first contacted me and I went to their website and read about these sauces I was not sure what I was getting myself into.  I had the misfortune of trying strawberry BBQ Sauce once and I wasn’t ready for another “spit out my meat” episode.  But I’d committed to trying them so I did.

These sauces are different.  Different in a good way.  What I especially appreciated was that the fruit seemed to take the front of the stage.  I love the flavors of these sauces.  The “peppers” take second fiddle.  They are there but they are in the sauce in a manner that doesn’t mask the fantastic flavors of the fruit.  For the most part the heat doesn’t overpower anything.  I review a lot of sauces and there are few that I dislike.  But there are even fewer that I’ve come right out and said, “Buy this sauce.”

You can find out more about Nephew’s sauces here.