Barbecue Sauces- Bon Appetit

A fairly interesting, easy reading, article from last July’s Bon Appetit magazine. My favorite sauce- and I consider myself barbecue worldly- remains Big Rick’s. In fact, somedays, I wish I was Big Rick.

Championship Barbecue Sauces

There are hundreds of barbecue sauces out there, but the ones made by veterans of the ‘cue competition circuit have a certain real-deal appeal. Use these sauces for basting or on the side as a condiment, and summer eating doesn’t get any more all-American. Here are five we love, and great ways to use them.

by Amy Albert

Photograph by Craig Cutler

July 2008

Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce

Fans of sweet-style ‘cue: Here’s a chunky, tangy sauce with a kick; terrific on chicken. Big Bob was a barbecue champ from Alabama. His grandson carries on the tradition: The family’s sauces have nabbed over 20 awards. $5 for 19 ounces; 800-783-9640; bigbobgibson.com

Peg Leg Porker Memphis Wet Sauce

A thick sauce with herbal, earthy flavors. Good for pork or brisket, or grilled shrimp. By west Tennessee barbecue champ Carey Bringle, three-time second-place winner of the Memphis in May competition. $8 for 16 ounces; peglegporker.com

Britt’s Barbecue Red Sauce

Roasty apple flavors with a pleasant hint of spice; perfect for flank steak or skirt steak. By Alabama pitmaster James Britt, who has nearly 200 contest wins to his name. $5 for 16 ounces; 866-568-8200; brittsbarbecue.com

Wee Willy’s World Champion Original Barbecue Sauce

From Minnesota (of all places), a blend of smoky and sweet that’s ideal for smoke-roasted chicken or pork shoulder. Wee Willy’s was the first team north of Kansas City to win the famed Jack Daniel’s Invitational. $5 for 18 ounces; 651-436-3807; weewillys.com

Memphis Championship Barbecue Original Sauce

If you don’t like your ‘cue too sweet, try this tangy sauce; it’s delicious on just about everything. Made by Mike “The Legend” Mills, three-time Grand World Champ of Memphis in May. $4 for 20 ounces; 702-869-9112; memphis-bbq.com

The Art of the Butt (aka- pulling pork)

I seasoned and barbecued a 6 lb. pork butt tonight in about 4.5 hours.  That is against many bbq “truisms” which generally state that “low and slow” is the only way for good bbq.  I was (and am) one of the purists too, but I also keep an open mind and experiment quite a bit.

Tonight, after seasoning, I double-banked some Lazzari Mesquite Hardwood Charcoal, and got it red hot.  I mean hot.  I am guessing 350-400 degrees with my kettle lid on.  I placed the butt in the middle and let it rip (adding a generous handful of both pecan and apple chips).  The smoke was billowing out of my wide open vents.  The fire was raging.  The butt was in an inferno!   After about 90 minutes, still very hot, I pulled it.  The exterior was crispy, a little burnt, but not bad.  I partially wrapped in heavy duty tin foil and then added about 2 cups of apple juice and then crimped shut.

Because lump charcoal burns so much hotter, and a Weber kettle is not the most tightly sealed grilled known to mankind, the fire still raged- even with the vents closed.

This was now about 6:30 and I planned on another 3-4 hours of just setting in the grill.  But at 8:00, I checked the internal temp…201 degrees!  I pulled it from the grill and let set for 30 minutes, then easily shredded it with a fork.  The bone pulled out clean as a whistle.

High temperature BBQ is a reality.  I am not saying it is better than low and slow, but it is still good and makes a large butt less than time consuming on a work night.

I am finishing it with Big Ricks BBQ Sauce for an office pot luck on Tuesday.

Big Ricks—IMHO, the best commercial BBQ sauce on the market.

http://www.bigricks.com/