Flavors
Makes 2 cups.
This mouth-puckering condiment was America’s original barbecue sauce, and while a watery mix of cider vinegar, hot red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper may not seem like barbecue sauce to most Americans, North Carolina-style pulled pork just wouldn’t taste right without it. The vinegar counterpoints the fatty pork, while the black and hot peppers crank up the heat. In the western part of the state, ketchup is added for sweetness—a practice I’ve made optional here. Note: Some pit masters add liquid hot sauce in place of (or in addition to) hot red pepper flakes. Others add water to diminish the vinegary bite.
2 cups cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper (about 1 tablespoon of the former and 1 teaspoon of the latter)
2 tablespoons ketchup (optional)
Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until the salt dissolves. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until the salt dissolves. To serve, mix with or spoon over pulled pork (smoked shredded or chopped pork shoulder). It’s also great with shredded barbecued chicken or duck.
South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Yield: Makes 2 cups.
South Carolina’s contribution to regional American barbecue is mustard sauce. BBQ buffs in these parts understand the wonders that mustard can work on pork; how the spice enhances the meat’s sweetness, while the acidity cuts through the fat. A good mustard sauce is a study in balance: the bite of mustard and mouth-pucker of vinegar offset by the sweetness of honey or brown sugar. Tradition calls for using ballpark-style mustard, which I’ve always found to be jarring on the taste buds. Call me a heretic, but I prefer the suaveness of Dijon-style mustard or a grainy mustard from Meaux in France.
2/3 cup Dijon-style mustard
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (lots of pepper) to taste
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk to mix. Simmer for 3 minutes, then let cool to room temperature for serving.
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Visit Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, and you’ll find a barbecue sauce unlike any on the planet. Created by a railroad man-turned-pit master in the 1920s, this piquant mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, and black pepper has accompanied barbecued chicken for five generations of pit masters. Well, let me assure you, this singular sauce is equally delicious on pork. I know the mayo thing sounds strange if you’re not from Alabama, but take my word for it, it’s awesome.
Makes 3-1/2 cups.
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup prepared white horseradish (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper and salt (you’ll need about 2 teaspoons of the former and 1 teaspoon of the latter)
Place the ingredients in a deep mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pineapple-Chile Salsa
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine.
Serve at room temperature over grilled pork or fish.
Stir together 2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple (about 12 oz.), 2 thinly sliced scallions, 1 seeded and finely chopped red Fresno chile, 1/2 seeded and finely chopped serrano chile, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp. lime zest, and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl. Serve immediately, or store covered in refrigerator up to 2 days.
Whether you like your pork tangy, sweet, smoky, or spicy, there’s a sauce here that hits the spot. Each one tells a story from a different corner of American barbecue, and every spoonful adds its own twist to the meat we love most. Fire up the grill, grab your favorite cut of pork, and taste your way through these classics.
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