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Q: Dr BBQ,
I’m at a point where I’m growing tiresome of using store-bought BBQ sauce, or even worse, doctoring up a store bought BBQ sauce. I love cooking, and love experimenting, so I was hoping you could provide me with some tips on how to create a BBQ sauce “base,” in which I can experiment to create different flavors from.
–Eric
A: Hi Eric,
I”ll assume we are talking about a typical tomato based BBQ sauce. It’s like most cooking in that the perfect balance is what you are looking for. You’ll need to start with something tomato based such as: Tomato Sauce, Chili Sauce, Ketchup, Tomato Paste, or a combination of some of the above. You”ll also need something acidic such as: White Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, Mustard, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, or a combination of some of the above. Lastly you”ll need something sweet such as: Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw), Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Honey, Cane Syrup, Molasses, or a combination of some of the above. I prefer mixing and matching within the categories. Now you”ll need flavoring ingredients such as: Onion, Garlic, Peppers, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, Mustard, salt, herbs and spices. This is really where you can customize your sauce to be your own. I like Chili Powder, Cumin, Thyme, Tarragon and Celery Seed although not necessarily all together. You can use fresh or dried and powdered. You”ll probably want to at least heat it to a simmer to blend everything. If it”s too thin just simmer it for a while to reduce it. If you use fresh things you will have to beware of spoilage. Whatever you do keep it refrigerated after you make it. Have fun and good luck!
–Dr. BBQ
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