Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce Recipes

The Carolinas, especially South Carolina, seems to be the seat or origin of the 4 basic styles of barbecue sauce we know in America today. At least that State seems to have the best historical evidence of a long history and variety of sauce types.

The 4 basic types are broken down by the type/ingredients used to create the sauce. They are:

• Vinegar and Pepper
• Mustard
• Light Tomato
• Heavy Tomato

These have been listed in the historical order of emergence. The South Carolina style – Mustard Sauce is a product of the large German heritage found in South Carolina.

Over time, the Tomato-based barbecue sauces migrated south and west and slowly regional variations began to stick. These different geographical regions have allegiances to their particular styles and variations for barbecue sauce. Most notably Kansas City, St. Louis, and Memphis style sauces have become some of the most famous BBQ sauce names. Needless to say, this is probably due to the excellent commercialization of a few particular recipes.

South Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

Get a taste of South Carolina BBQ with this great sauce recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard (the kind you get at the ballpark)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard (like Coleman’s)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the butter over medium heat until it’s frothy, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
2. Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more.
3. Makes about 2 cups.

South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard (the kind you get at the ballpark)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard (like Coleman’s)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the butter over medium heat until it’s frothy, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
2. Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more.
3. Makes about 2 cups.

Carolina Barbecue Pork Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 porkbutt (shoulder)
• 1 gal cider vinegar
• 10 oz Worcestershire sauce
• 6 ozs chili sauce
• 1 1/4 ozs crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

1. Mix all sauce ingredients together. Use as a basting sauce for the meat. The pork has to be barbecued – that is, cooked long and slow over a real wood fire, preferably hickory.
2. Temp should be around 220 degrees, and it takes at least 1-1/2 hours per pound, or until internal temp. reaches 150-160 degrees.
3. Needless to say, this is difficult to accomplish in the average backyard Weber kettle, although it can be done.
4. It has to be served on a CWB: Cheap White Bun. After that, the only question is “with or without!?” Sweet cole slaw on top, that is!

Tony Roma’s Carolina Honey BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce

Preparation

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the barbeque sauce in a saucepan over high heat. Use a whisk to blend the ingredients until smooth.
2. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered.
3. In 30-45 minutes, when the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat. If you want a thicker sauce, heat it longer. If you make the sauce too thick, thin it with vinegar.

North Carolina Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Texas Pete’s
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Place all of the ingredients in a small, non-reactive sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk until the sugar and salt is completely dissolved, remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.

South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard (the kind you get at the ballpark)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard (like Coleman’s)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the butter over medium heat until it’s frothy, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
2. Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more.
3. Makes about 2 cups.

 

The first commercially-produced barbecue sauce was made by the Louis Maull Co., in 1923, but the first nationally distributed barbecue sauce did not appear until 1951 when Heinz released a product in the United States. Needless to say, hundreds of restaurants have special recipes they make, bottle and sell in addition to what’s available in grocery stores across the country. Barbecue has even gotten more popular through the many regional BBQ shows and every vendor has its own special sauce they are promoting. Similar to the emergence of micro-breweries for beer, the variety of BBQ sauces available has literally exploded in the past 10 years.