Regional Barbecue Sauce Styles, Explained

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Meat cuts and cooking methods are the main signifiers of regional barbecue, but the sauces perhaps best define the history of America's low and slow cooked proteins. From the Carolinas to Texas and Kansas City, barbecue fanatics religiously ally themselves with specific styles of sauces and dips.

American barbecue can trace its origins to the Eastern coastline stretching from North Carolina south through the Florida panhandle. Anthropologist and novelist Zora Neale Hurston writes that the Southern practice of slow cooking meat over wood grills was borrowed from the babacots tradition of the Arawak, an indigenous people living in the Caribbean and Florida around the time of Spanish colonization. Spaniards translated this to barbacoa and eventually the English "barbecue" — but according to Hurston, it was slaves who took these techniques and dressed their meats with "barbecue sauce made from lime or lemon juice and hot peppers."

During a visit to North America in 1748, Swedish-Finnish botanist and naturalist Peter Kalm observed Guinea peppers being cultivated by slaves in Philadelphia, noting that the pods were occasionally pounded and "mixed with salt preserved in a bottle" to be used as a sauce for meats and fish. Kalm reported that the pepper sauce gave the food a "very fine taste." Ever since, Americans have been evolving new flavors to complement their smoked meats. Here's a primer on America's principle barbecue sauce styles

Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce
The spicy and acidic African flavor profile was readily adopted in eastern North Carolina. Considered the mother of all American barbecue sauces, it can be traced back several centuries in North Carolina, where whole hog ‘cue reigns supreme. Unlike many modern sauces, the eastern-style uses no tomato, relying instead on a tart combination of vinegar (usually cider vinegar) and added spices like cayenne, black pepper, crushed red pepper, hot sauce (often Texas Pete), salt, and sometimes water. Author and chronicler of North Carolina barbecue Bob Garner notes that some original recipes even utilized coastal ingredients like oysters. This thin, watery wash is used to soak pork as it cooks over the flame.

Piedmont or Lexington-Style Dip
The introduction of Heinz ketchup in 1876 was a major turning point in the history of barbecue sauce nationwide. In North Carolina it resulted in a state schism over the validity of tomatoes on ‘cue. Enter the Piedmont-style or "Lexington Dip" — a reference to the city of Lexington where the style is most abundant. Western Carolinians traditionally cook pork shoulder and dress it with a tangy, vinegar-based sauce that's slightly reddened and sweetened by the introduction of ketchup. According to North Carolina's Our State magazine, the style may be attributed to five men of German descent who developed the Piedmont variety based on Bavarian practices of serving pork shoulder with sweet and vinegary sauce. Its also frequently incorporated into a specialty red slaw.

South Carolina-Style Mustard Sauce
Because human tastes belie strict borders, South Carolinians share the same traditions as their Northern counterparts with one exception — mustard sauce. Like the Piedmont-style dip, German immigrants are also to thank for this tangy smoked meat condiment. According to the South Carolina Barbecue Association, these Germans arrived to South Carolina settlements with mustard in tow. The mustard-based Carolina Gold is thinned with vinegar and doctored with added spices for a zingy flavor, and to dress pulled pork and other pork cuts.

Texas-Style Mop or Basting Sauce
Seeing as Texas likes to be different, it seems only appropriate that it developed its own saucy barbecue tradition. Texas's beefy barbecue cuts are often cooked with savory "mop sauce" or "basting sauce" — so called because it's applied with a mop. Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible, describes the sauces as more of a thin "glaze" that moistens the meat and adds flavor as it smokes. Mop sauces may include beef stock, vinegar, Worcestershire, and spices like salt, pepper, and garlic.

Kansas City-Style Sauce
Kansas City, Missouri's thick, sweet, and tangy sauces dominate the collective consciousness when it comes to American barbecue traditions. Widely distributed on supermarket shelves, slathered on ribs at chain restaurants, and used to dip McNuggets and fries at McDonald's, it's the thick and gloppy baseline that unites a nation of barbecue novices. Ketchup and molasses give it a sweeter, heavier consistency while additives like liquid smoke impart a barbecue flavor in lieu of coals, fire, or a smoker. Worcestershire, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and other spice may also find their way into the recipe. Despite the style's critics, the barbecue restaurants of Kansas City often defy this reputation by creating a remarkable variety of house sauces with profiles from peppery and spicy to extra vinegary.

Alabama White Sauce
Those who enjoy sauce as a side dish may enjoy dipping their barbecue in white sauce, an invention of northern Alabama barbecue pioneer Bob Gibson. Comedian Aziz Ansari recently showcased the condiment (though it was mistakenly attributed to Nashville, Tennessee) in a recent episode of Master of None, in which his character becomes so enamored with the sauce that he misses a flight back to New York. Whether or not it's actually that exceptional is a matter of preference, but white sauce has a strong following in the small region around Decatur. Unlike the hog traditions of the Carolinas, this pasty mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, and pepper is best applied to smoked chicken (though pork will also do). It's served thick and creamy or milky, and is an anomaly in the class of American sauces.

Additional Notes on American Sauces
America's regions cultivate an evolving spectrum of sauces with smaller-but-emerging styles found throughout the 50 states. Some argue that Memphis and St. Louis represent an alternative style, similar to Kansas City but with a thinner more vinegary base. In North Carolina, scholars also contend that a third imported style riffing on thicker tomato-based sauces has taken hold in the northern regions of the state. And in Kentucky, mutton is sometimes dressed with black Worcestershire-based dip. Wherever it's applied, sauce adds a signature that marks barbecue as one of the U.S.'s great folk food traditions.

Barbecue Sauce Hamburger

credit Hamburger Recipes.com

Barbecue Sauce Hamburger. The sauce is very easy to make and it tastes good.
Serves 4
 
For The Patties:

1lb/500g ground beef
(how to grind your own meat)
1 half onion grated or finely chopped
4 pinches ground coriander
4 pinches paprika powder
a little pepper, fresh ground black is better
a little salt
1 hand fresh bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water

For the Sauce:
 
1/2 a cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon or other mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
a few drops of Tabasco or other hot sauce(optional)
 
For the Rolls:
 
4 rolls
sliced tomato
thinly sliced onion
lettuce
mayonnaise



To Make
 
Firstly combine all the sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside.
Mix all the patty ingredients thoroughly, leaving the salt for after the patties are cooked if you
prefer.
 
Make sure the mixture is cool. Divide mixture into 4 equal balls and mold into patties.

Cook on medium heat under the grill, on the barbecue or in a pan until the patty is cooked to your preferred degree of doneness or the internal temp reaches 160F/70C.

Baste the patties with a little of the sauce about a minute or two before they are done.

Split the rolls and toast the cut surfaces lightly (under grill, on barbecue or in pan) just before
the patties are done. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half, add a thin slice of onion, some
lettuce, sliced tomato and the patty. Top the patty with a little of the sauce and the other half
of the roll.

Cowabunga Beef Burgers with Yummy Yammy Fries

Credit Greta and Janet Podlesk

Smoky bacon cheeseburgers with spicy sweet potato wedges.

Tip: Look for small bottles of Club House Mesquite Rub/Marinade in the spice aisle of your grocery store. (It’s a wet paste, not a dry spice mix.)
Per serving (1 cheeseburger with 1/8 fries): 491 calories, 20 g total fat (8.9 g saturated fat), 34 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 5.4 g fibre, 87 mg cholesterol, 979 mg sodium
Tip: Chipotle chili powder is a new McCormick spice that adds smoky heat to the seasoning mix. If you don’t like spicy food, leave it out.

Barbecue Sauce

• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp mesquite spice rub (see Tip)

Mushrooms

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cup thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms

Patties

• 2 lb(s) (907 g) extra-lean ground sirloin
• 3 slices (raw) reduced-salt bacon, finely minced
• 8 soft, whole-wheat hamburger buns
• 8 light cheddar cheese slices
• Other burger toppings as desired: ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Yummy Yammy Fries

• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chipotle chili powder (see Tip)
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

To Make:

Barbecue Sauce
1. To make sauce, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Mushrooms
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in non-stick skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Patties
1. Preheat gas grill to high setting. To make patties, combine beef, minced bacon, and 2 tbsp barbecue sauce in a large bowl. Mix gently using your hands. Shape meat into 8 patties.
2. Brush grill rack lightly with oil or spray with cooking spray. Grill burgers over hot coals until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be dry. Baste both sides of burgers with barbecue sauce during last couple minutes of cooking.
3. Top with cheese slices, close lid, count to 10 and remove from heat! Serve burgers on whole wheat rolls with sautéed mushrooms and your favourite burger toppings.

Yummy Yammy Fries
1. Combine all spices: grated Parmesan cheese, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder, in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Wash potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel them.
3. Slice each potato into french-fry-like wedges (about 10 fries per potato, depending on the size of the potato). Toss fries in a large bowl with olive oil until well-coated, then toss with spice blend.
4. Spread fries evenly on a non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn fries over and bake an additional 7 minutes, or until tender. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fries. Make sure you don’t over-bake them, or they’ll be soggy.

English Style Barbecue Sauce

• 25g lard or 25ml vegetable oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 200ml Simple Tomato Ketchup
• 150ml tomato juice
• 45ml Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp black treacle*
• 1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce

To Make:

1. Heat the lard or oil in a pan and, when hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft and tender.

2. Add the paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil; reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes until reduced and thickened in consistency.

4. remove and allow to cool ready for use.


* Treacle is any uncrystallised syrup made during the refining of sugar. The most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, a pale variety, and a darker variety known as black treacle. Black treacle, or molasses, has a distinctively strong, slightly bitter flavor, and a richer colour than golden syrup. Golden syrup treacle is a common sweetener and condiment in British cookery, found in such dishes as treacle tart and treacle sponge pudding.

Lip-Smacking Barbecue Sauces

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen 

 

Homemade barbecue sauce will set your grilling apart from every one else on the block. These lip-smacking recipes for barbecue sauce will name you Master of the Grill!

Additional information : Sauces

Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sauce for 4 servings boneless (1 lb/450 g) or bone-in (2 lb/900 g) meat, poultry or fish. Baste with sauce during last few minutes of grilling. Serve extra sauce on the side, if desired.

All sauces listed here make about 2 cups (500ml).

1.Sweet Smoky Tomato Basting Sauce

This sauce mellows out considerably when brushed over meat on the grill, but it also packs a punch of flavour when served as a side sauce at the table. For doubly delicious results, use it to baste while grilling and serve extra sauce at the table. 

By Adell Shneer and The Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: July 2012

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup bottled strained tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tbsp apple cider or water
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp fancy molasses
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

In small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

Add strained tomatoes, tomato paste, apple cider, vinegar, molasses, chipotle peppers, brown sugar, adobo sauce, mustard and liquid smoke; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to food processor; purée until smooth. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

2.Honey Ginger Basting Sauce

This flavourful Asian-style sauce makes perfect sticky ribs and wings, or an easy glaze for salmon. Baste with it during the last couple of minutes of cooking to prevent the sauce from burning. You can also serve it at the table for dipping. 

By Adell Shneer and The Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: July 2012

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 shallots, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup liquid honey
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Preparation

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook shallots, garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes.

Stir in hoisin sauce, honey, 1/4 cup water, vinegar, sesame oil and hot pepper flakes; bring to boil. Boil until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

3.Honey-Hoisin Chicken and Rib Glaze

Generously brush this five-ingredient sauce over meat (or tofu!) in the last few minutes of grilling for a sweet, sticky and delicious finish.

By Amanda Barnier and The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2015

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup liquid honey
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp each rice vinegar and sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Preparation

In small bowl, whisk together honey, hoisin sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce until well combined. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

4.Smoky Barbecue Sauce

This all-purpose barbecue sauce makes a tasty glaze not only on ribs but also on chicken, steak, pork chops and burgers.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2005

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Spanish smoked sweet paprika or mild paprika
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup ketchup or chili sauce
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar

Preparation

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onion, garlic, paprika, mustard and salt, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add ketchup, 1/2 cup (125 mL) water, sugar and vinegar; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture flows slowly when spatula is drawn across bottom of pot and is like thick ketchup, about 20 minutes.
In food processor or blender, purée sauce until smooth. (Make-ahead: Let cool; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)
 Variation
Smoky Red Wine Barbecue Sauce: Substitute 1/2 cup (125 mL) red wine for the water. 

5.Southwest Barbecue Sauce

This all-purpose sauce can replace all your store-bought sauces. Brush it on food during grilling or serve on the side for dipping. Use 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for every 4 servings (1 lb/500 g bone-less or 1-1/2 lb/750 g bone-in meat or poultry, or 1 lb/500 g fish).

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 shallot or small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) tomato paste
• 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 sweet green pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup fancy molasses

Preparation

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook shallot, garlic, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, green pepper, sugar and mustard; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until thickened and reduced by about one-third. Let cool. Pour into blender; puree until smooth. Add molasses; blend well. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 month.)
Variations
Hot and Spicy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce: Omit sweet green pepper. Add 2 canned chipotle peppers to mixture in blender.
Firecracker Barbecue Sauce: Omit sweet green pepper. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) orange marmalade, 2 tsp (10 mL) horseradish and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper sauce to mixture in blender.

 

6.Fruity Barbecue Sauce

Why pick up store-bought barbecue sauces when you can just as easily make your own at home? Here is one that you can brush onto food while grilling or use as a dip for grilled meats and vegetables. Use 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for 4 servings (1 lb/500 g boneless or 2 lb/1 kg bone-in) meat.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2003

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz/398 mL) tomato sauce
• 1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/3 cup chopped raisins
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp fancy molasses
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp grated orange rind
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preparation

In saucepan, combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, dates, raisins, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, orange rind and cloves.
Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by one-third, about 1 hour. Let cool. Pour into blender; pur?until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

7.Zesty Barbecue Sauce

Add a luscious touch to all your barbecue favourites: during the last few minutes of cooking, brush this sauce over chops, burgers, ribs, poultry or fish. Use 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for every 4 servings (1 lb/500 g boneless or 1-1/2 lb/750 g bone-in meat or poultry, or 1 lb/500 g fish).

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1/2 cup fancy molasses
• 2 tbsp wine vinegar
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp celery seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Preparation

In large saucepan, stir together beef stock, chili sauce, molasses, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, celery seeds, cumin, salt, pepper and 2/3 cup (150 mL) water; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer for about 20 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups (500 mL). (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

8.Sweet-and-Sour Barbecue Sauce

This classic barbecue sauce is so flavourful you won't even realize that it has no added salt. It's great for pork, chicken or beef.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2007

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup cooking molasses
• 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder or chili powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Preparation

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, pineapple, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, paprika, oregano, chili powder and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until thickened. Let cool slightly.

In blender, puree sauce, in batches, until smooth. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.)

9.Cranberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Canadian Living Test Kitchen food experts create every recipe to inspire home cooks and share how fun and satisfying cooking is.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: October 2006; Get Grilling: Summer 2007

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp fancy molasses
• 1 tsp grated orange rind
• 1 tsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp seeded and minced chipotle peppers

Preparation

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onion and garlic, stirring often, until softened, 5 minutes. Add ginger, cloves, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute.

Add cranberries, water, orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, orange rind, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until reduced by one-third and cranberries pop, 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to blender; purée until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

10.                Maple Whisky Barbecue Sauce

Why pick up store-bought barbecue sauces when you can just as easily make your own at home? Here is one that you can brush onto food while grilling or use as a dip for grilled meats and vegetables. Use 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for 4 servings (1 lb/500 g boneless or 2 lb/1 kg bone-in) meat.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2003

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) tomato sauce
• 1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 ml) tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup whisky or apple juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup grainy mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Preparation

In saucepan, combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, whisky, maple syrup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cinnamon.
Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by one-third, about 1 hour. Let cool. Pour into blender; pur?until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

11.                East-West Barbecue Sauce

Why pick up store-bought barbecue sauces when you can just as easily make your own at home? Here is one that you can brush onto food while grilling or use as a dip for grilled meats and vegetables. Use 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for 4 servings (1 lb/500 g boneless or 2 lb/1 kg bone-in) meat.

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2003

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz/398 mL) tomato sauce
• 1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup liquid honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp minced gingerroot
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Preparation

In saucepan, combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, honey, soy sauce, gingerroot and sesame oil.
Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by one-third, about 1 hour. Let cool. Pour into blender; pur?until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 month.)