Homemade Barbecue Sauce â?? How To Make Your Own Homemade Barbecue Sauce
The time to start thinking about cooking BBQ is in the Spring and Summer time, with the warm days ahead and fun social gatherings with your friends and family, there is no better time to turn your attention to making these occasions special by learning how to cook something new.Creating your own homemade barbecue sauce is straightforward once you have mastered the basics and learned how to combine various kitchen ingredients to make your own favourite sauce.No doubt you, or members in your family had their own favourite homemade barbecue sauces that they grew up with, well now is your chance to get involved and enjoy learning something new, how to make your own, personal favourite, homemade barbecue sauce.Here are the basic components of a homemade barbecue sauce. The barbecue sauce baseRegardless of what type of barbecue sauce you are going to make, you will need a “base” before you can begin. Ideal bases for making a good BBQ sauce are favourites such as number 10 ketchup sauce, honey, mustard, brown sauce and fruit purée sauce bases.Consistency of the homemade sauce base is one of the main things that you should be looking at when considering making your own BBQ sauce. You want to avoid the base from being too runny or too thick, and this is one of the reasons why using a suitable ketchup is a great place to start experimenting because it gives you a little less to think about initially and will allow you to let your creative juices flow as you consider and use the ingredients that will make up your sauce.The #10 ketchup is one of the most popular sauce bases to use as it has the ideal consistency and acidity that complements BBQ food by giving a clean edge, or zing, to the flavour. Many pre-bought sauces will not match up to your own personal favourite once you have developed your very own homemade barbecue sauce.If you were considering making something that had a fruitier flavour, you can use a pre-made fruit sauce and use that as your base for a slightly sweeter and fruitier flavour and adjust it to your taste, using other ingredients. Alternatively, you could use a small quantity of ketchup base and then sweat down fruit and create your own fruit purée to add to your sauce.AcidityAcidity is very important in a homemade barbecue sauce as its presence provides a clean-tasting zing that prepares and excites the taste buds. Controlling this acidity is important and a matter of personal preference, and experimentation with fruit-infused vinegars, such as cider, apple and raspberry all offer unique and distinct flavours that complement any homemade barbecue sauce.You can make your own fruit-infused vinegars very easily by purchasing a good quality white wine vinegar, adding some to a sterilised bottle along with raw fruits of choice, seal, and allow to soak slowly, in a cool and dark place for 1 or 2 months. Once the fruit has had enough time to break down in the vinegar, you find that it has taken on a pleasant fruity tang and can be used in not only your homemade barbecue sauce, but also in a salad dressing along with a little olive oil. Remember that a little goes a long way.Other ingredients that will complement your homemade barbecue sauce base, are seasoning’s and vegetables that will add a distinctness to it and separate it from the typical, off-the-shelf variety.Worcestershire sauce for example, adds a low-down meaty flavour and is similar in colour to soy sauce, though it tastes nothing like soy sauce at all. Widely used, Worcestershire sauce has a slightly spicy tang to it as well as a dark colour that will deepen the colour of the sauce that you are making.Other great ingredients are Tabasco sauce for example that adds a mildly hot, fruity pepper flavour and is excellent as a component for sauces that are going to be used on chicken, baby back ribs and chicken wings. If you want to try a slightly milder alternative to Tabasco, Cholula hot sauce is similar in flavour, though slightly less piquant to its hotter counterpart.For a full and more rounded flavour you can add sauces similar to Texas Pete’s hot sauce, which has a fairly thick ketchup-like consistency and adds a broad and mild mix of spices. Once again, there are many alternatives to thick sauces that you can add to your homemade barbecue sauce, and it is worthwhile experimenting with them in very small batches and pick out the flavours that excite your taste-buds the most. Read the labels, pick out the flavours and aromas that appeal to you and then note them down for future use.Seasoning’sNow that you have the base of your homemade barbecue sauce well under way, you can take a look at the spices, salt, pepper and sugar that will be used in relatively small quantities to give your BBQ sauce its own distinct flavour.If you haven’t used a particular seasoning before, start off by using small quantities to avoid over-powering your first homemade barbecue sauce.Cinnamon for example is a particularly strong bark-like spice that is also available in ground form. Use it like salt, by adding a little at a time until you get the balance right with the other flavours. Use too much and you will find that just like salt, the cinnamon will almost certainly overpower everything else you have in your sauce. Unless you particularly like cinnamon, use it very sparingly.Here is a short list of seasoning’s that you can use in your homemade barbecue sauce to give you some ideas.Spices such as cayenne, Jamaican jerk seasoning, red pepper flakes (in moderation), clove, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander, garlic, mango powder, mustard, paprika, cumin, oregano, and parsley are all excellent choices.Whole seeded chilli peppers such as Chipotle adds a dark and smoky flavour, Habanero and Scotch Bonnet peppers add a lot of heat along with a delicious fruit flavour, red bell peppers for great fruitiness but little heat, Serrano and similar long carrot-shaped chillies also offer a nice fruit flavour along with a mild-heat.SweetnessTo add sweetness if necessary to your homemade barbecue sauce, you can use sugars and sweeteners that suit your personal preference. Palm sugar has a unique and distinct flavour that has an Eastern influence, cane sugar, molasses and dark brown sugar are also widely used. You can use any sugars that you prefer, though darker sugars generally have more flavour and are more suitable for use in a BBQ sauce. More exotic sweeteners such as passion fruit and guava syrups can also be used to good effect, along with regular honey and golden syrup.If your homemade barbecue sauce is going to be used to baste your meats and poultry during cooking over a hot grill, remember that the high sugar content can burn easily and it will invariably result in blackened food. Take this into account when cooking your food and adjust your technique accordingly. Using the â??low-and-slowâ? method of cooking is the perfect way to cook food that is coated in a high sugar content BBQ sauce.SaltSalt is a very important part of cooking, seasoning any food improves the flavour and when used in BBQ sauces, it is used in the same manner, to add flavour and also balance the sweetness and acidity. Use salt sparingly during the last 15 minutes of reduction time to adjust the taste to your liking by allowing the salt to cook through the sauce slowly, while stirring continuously. Taste a small amount of the sauce, not forgetting to allow it to cool first beforehand, and determine whether you have reached the right balance.It all comes down to a matter of personal preference that is based on our upbringing and regional influences. Use the ingredients and flavours that talk to your taste buds, experiment and make it your own unique homemade barbecue sauce.ThickenersTo prevent yourself from making the most common mistake when creating your first homemade barbecue sauce, avoid the addition of sauce thickeners such as corn starch, gelatine, flour, butter and cream as these will impair the flavour and potentially ruin your BBQ sauce. Thickeners are not required as your homemade barbecue sauce will be thickened naturally by the evaporation of liquids, and reduced gently on a relatively low heat in a saucepan until the ideal consistency is achieved.Making your homemade barbecue sauceThis section is not designed to be a particular recipe, just some basic guidelines in the preparation of your homemade barbecue sauce.To start with you will need a pan large enough to hold all of your ingredients with some room to spare to allow the BBQ sauce to bubble gently without overflowing onto your cooker, and now add the following ingredients;500ml of #10 ketchup50ml cider vinegar1 large onion coarsely chopped2 large garlic gloves, finely chopped1 thumb sized piece of ginger, finely sliced1 tsp Tabasco sauce1 tbls passion-fruit syrup1 tsp coriander powder1 tsp cumin powder2 finely chopped seeded hot red chillies1 tbls brown sugarSalt to tasteOnce you have all of the ingredients in the pan, stir until thoroughly combined and raise the temperature of the pan until it achieves a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so that the mixture is just simmering very gently around the edges of the pan.Do not cover the pan and stir occasionally with a plastic or wooden spoon, checking for any sauce that may have start to stick to the bottom of the pan. If the sauce begins to stick, reduce the heat a little, stir, and check again in a few minutes. Refrain from adding water during cooking as this will only serve to prolong the reduction process. The reduction process can take up to 4 hours depending on your ingredients and desired sauce consistency. Allow plenty of time for making your homemade barbecue sauce prior to use, preferably allowing 24 hours for the sauce to cool properly and allow the ingredients to finally combine and stabilise the flavours before use.Your BBQ sauce can be prepared and refrigerated ahead of use using a sterilised jar or suitable air-tight jar making it ideal for continued use if you are going to have several barbecues during the week. Your homemade barbecue sauce will be at its best for up to a week if stored in the refrigerator.
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The Differences Between Different Styles of BBQ Food by Region
Every region of the United States has its barbecue specialty: pulled pork sandwiches in North Carolina, racks of ribs in Memphis, “burnt ends” in Kansas City and chopped brisket in Texas. The roots of American barbecue run deep in the South, where even neighboring counties can have different approaches to barbecue, not to mention different states.
Consider North Carolina, a state with a long barbecue tradition .. In eastern North Carolina, you would probably find shredded meat from an entire pig, doused with a peppery vinegar sauce, and if you chose to drive West a few hours from the coast, and you will most likely be served meat from just the shoulder of the hog, with a tomato based sauce. Throughout Carolina, there is a clear preference for barbecue pork and thin vinegary sauces, which is a distinguishing style echoed throughout the state.
Memphis, Tennessee is another superb barbecue location, home to “Memphis in May,” which is the largest barbecue competition and festival in the world. The city boasts over 100 barbecue restaurants and several different barbecue styles. Like North Carolina and much of the South, pork is the barbecue meat of choice in Tennessee and pork ribs are the most common cut, but the city is divided between “dry-rubbed” and “wet rib” versions. Dry-rubbed ribs are generously rubbed with a mixture of spices, smoked and then served with sauce on the side. Wet ribs are lacquered with tangybarbecue sauce before, during and after cooking. Another Memphis favorite is the pulled-pork sandwich – smoked pork shoulder stuffed inside a hamburger bun and topped with coleslaw.
Kansas City is the barbecue capital of the Midwest. Like Memphis, it’s also home to over 100 barbecue restaurants and hosts an annual barbecue competition an an event called American Royal. In Kansas City, both pork and beef are barbecued and it is best known for its BBQ sauce, which is traditionally heavy on tomato and uses molasses as a distinctive sweetener. The traditional thickbarbecue sauce you buy in supermarkets is based on Kansas City style sauce. The bottled varieties are much different from the small batches of sweet zesty sauce cooked up by Kansas City pitmasters. For those that aren’t familiar with the term, “Burnt ends,” are the crunchy, charred ends of brisket slabs, are a Kansas City specialty not to be missed.
Texas is famous for its cattle, and beef brisket is the barbecue meat of choice. But chopped beef and beef ribs are also state favorites. Texas barbecue isn’t only about the beef, it is also about spicy pork sausages, called “hot links,” and pork ribs are also common barbecue fare. Almost all Texas barbecue is cooked without sauce. The meat is rubbed with spices, known as BBQ rub, smoked and, sometimes, a sauce is served on the side. Barbecue in other states is most often smoked over hickory, oak or a handful of other similar hardwoods. But Texas barbecue usually uses mesquite, which gives the meat a distinct and unique flavor.
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Barbecue How To’s and Two Bbq Recipes
Barbecuing is a widespread and honored tradition. Three out of four american families own a barbecue grill and use it, on average, four to five times per month. What better way is there to have fun with friends and family than to have a barbecue?
Before putting the meat on the barbecue it is a good idea to set it out of the refrigerator for about an hour to let it warm up. This will make the meat cook quicker and it will be juicier.
Food safety is an important issue so always be sure that you cook the meat thoroughly. Cut the meat in the thickest part to be sure that the juices are clear to be sure that it is completely cooked. Always be sure to keep utensils used to handle the raw meat separate from those you use to handle the cooked meat. Cross contamination of bacteria can be as dangerous as eating raw meat. You want your barbecue to be both fun and safe for everyone so always be careful.
Barbecued Spare Ribs are a classic American barbecue meal, made from pork. This version is cooked in the oven, not on a barbecue, and uses a barbecue sauce with a distinct Asian flavor, featuring soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic.
Remember to give your barbecue a good cleaning after each use. If you have a gas grill, you can turn the grill on for ten or fifteen minutes to allow it self clean. Charcoal grills need to be cleaned with soap and water using a stiff wire brush.
Here are a couple really good barbecue recipes you can try at your next barbecue
Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients:
4 thick rib pork chops, (1″ to 1 1/4″ thick is best)
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
Large pinch dried and crumbled rosemary
Large pinch dried and crumbled marjoram
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt and/or pepper to taste
Make several shallow cuts in each pork chop with a knife.
In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs, herbs, butter, onion, garlic, and salt.
Stuff the mixture into the cuts you made.
Grill the pork chops at medium to high heat for ten minutes on each side side. To make sure the chops are evenly cooked they should be turned several times. Grill them for five minutes or so then turn them over and let that side cook for 5 minutes. Repeat this process two or three times or until the chops are grilled to your satisfaction.
Barbecued Spare Ribs
Here is a classic American barbecue with a twist. This version uses a barbecue sauce that has a distinct Asian flavor, featuring soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic.
Ingredients:
2 pounds pork spare ribs
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons hoisen sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoons sake
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
Put the spare ribs in a large casserole dish in one layer.
Using a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour this mixture over the spare ribs being sure to completely coat the meat. Let this marinate overnight, baste occasionally unless the meat is completely covered.
Throw the ribs on the grill and let them cook to your satisfaction. Turn them several times during the process and baste them with the marinade sauce a few times.
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