Since it is time for the grills to come out and get put to good use, I figured we should talk about barbecue.
There are literally endless things to put on a barbecue and endless sauces to accompany the grilled goodies. And, in the South, the kind of barbecue sauce you specialize in is indicative of where you are from.
The North Carolina tradition is to keep it simple and generally baste meat with seasonings, drippings and vinegar. In the middle of the country, like Kansas City, you will generally find a sweeter, often ketchup-based sauce. There is even a white, mayonnaise-based sauce in Alabama. But where I am from, mustard is the key ingredient. South Carolinians often make a spicy tangy mustard sauce, and that is what I tend to favor.
On a recent rainy Saturday, a friend forwarded a recipe to me that caught my attention. I immediately realized that I had never made a true South Carolina barbeque sauce of my own.
I did a quick inventory and realized that I had many of the ingredients for this mustard based barbecue sauce recipe on hand, plus something this recipe didn’t call for: homemade mustard.
At this current time in the day, I also had a turkey breast roasting in the refrigerator so the timing was fortuitous. I immediately decide to make a mustard barbecue sauce to pour on shredded turkey meat, so back to the kitchen I went.
The sauce I pulled together was pretty impressive, I must say. I loosely followed the recipe my friend sent and then added ingredients I thought would be good. During tasting, I tried it a few more times than needed. It was tangy, spicy, flavorful and super unique.
I mixed some of the shredded turkey with the sauce and then served it with coleslaw on a cracked wheat bun. Some people prefer to add barbecue sauce on the side, but I like it all mixed in.
You could use this recipe as a marinade, a grilling sauce or as a topping to whatever you want to cook. While I don’t eat pork, I have a feeling it would go great with a slow-cooked Boston butt.
The slaw I made to top our sandwiches was so easy and delicious. I took very finely shredded cabbage, mixed in shredded carrots, doused it with apple cider vinegar and added salt, pepper and poppy seeds. Right before I served it I blended in a little bit of mayonnaise. It was perfect with the mustard barbecue sauce because it cooled the spice down a little bit.
I suggest you experiment with this sauce recipe, like I did. While this was great for us, there is no right or wrong. If you don’t have one ingredient, substitute something else. If you don’t like grainy mustard, only use yellow (but I really liked the texture that grainy mustard gave it.) If you like things sweeter and less spicy, leave out the red pepper flakes and add a bit of honey.
Like I said, there is really no right or wrong. The sauce should be about you, your style, your preferences, and in this case, maybe where you are from too.
Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup yellow mustard
- 1 cup grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup of white vinegar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil on low heat until soft and transparent. Whisk in remaining ingredients, cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water. Taste and adjust seasonings Add more red pepper flakes if you want it spicier. Cool then refrigerate.
