Vinegar Sauce

I am from Alabama and love the vinegar/pepper sauce they have in north Alabama for pork BBQ. Anyone have a good recipe to make some? I miss it and need some. Thanks

Here is my Mom's as close as I can remember, (She's from Decatur & I'm from Huntsville)

in a tiny sauce pan melt 1/2 stick butter and 1/4 cup vinegar (or to taste)
add original tobasco sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, 1 teaspoon paprika (for color), worcestershire sauce, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (I use Nature's Season's instead of the salt)

I'd start with 1/4 teaspoon of each of the spices, a teaspoon of W. sauce and start adding to taste. You can adjust the heat with the tobasco sauce or add cayenne pepper. I'm sorry I can't be too accurate because this is one of those dash of this and dab of that recipes that no one ever really writes down. You know where your Mom opens the spice cabinet and starts grabbing stuff and shaking away.

This is good on chicken too, Spoon over each piece as it goes into the oven, then spoon some on right before serving. I like the pan drippings from this chicken on mashed potatoes.

Here's my recipe that I use on pulled pork......it'll have to be scaled down a bit for home use.

8 dried ancho chiles
60 garlic cloves
10 bay leaves
1 1/2 gal. white vinegar
1/2 gal. water
1 can HEINZ ketchup
1 can plum tomatoes
1/4 C L & P (worcestershirej)
dash Liquid Smoke
white pepper
onion powder
1 C molasses
1 C honey
black peppercorns

Simmer all ingredients 4 hours, until reduced by half. Puree in food processor or blender.

This is from a Frugal Gourmet program.

Louisiana fish camp BBQ sauce,

2/3C water
2T brown sugar
2T Worcestershire sauce
2T yellow mustard
1/3C catsup
1tsp cracked black pepper
1tsp red pepper flakes
1C red wine vinegar
1/3C white wine
2T salt

Simmer covered 30 min


Cakes

I need to change the recipe.

1/6 C Heinz catsup (inorganic)
1/6 C Delmonte catsup
1/6 C Hunts catsup


Cakes

Lleechef: That is a outstanding recipe for the BBQ sauce. 60 cloves of garlic ought to make you crowd friendly?.

Seriously, that sounds really good.

I have always wanted to ask you if they BBQ caribou or moose?

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

My basic mop/finishing sauce is basically as follows

2 parts Dr. Pepper (no really), to 1 part cider vinegar
toss in dark brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and Kosher salt (depending on amount).

You can bring it to a boil to combine, but I usually just toss it all in a bowl while I'm getting my fire going in the am. Put the lid lid on, give it a shake, then let it sit for a few hours till ready to adjust seasoning and start basting.

I generally add it to pulled pork to keep it moist if needed, and find myself reaching for it rather than traditional tom based sauces at the table.

Vayo con Queso

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

Lleechef: That is a outstanding recipe for the BBQ sauce. 60 cloves of garlic ought to make you crowd friendly?.

Seriously, that sounds really good.

I have always wanted to ask you if they BBQ caribou or moose?

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

I know that the 60 cloves of garlic sound like a bit much, but believe me, the sauce is NOT garlicky. I guess all that vinegar and anchos kind of cancel out the garlic. It is the best vinegar sauce I've ever had (I cannot take credit for the recipe, it belongs to one of my former sous-chefs.)

About the BBQ caribou or moose, I've never really seen anybody do it. The meat is actually TOO lean to make good BBQ......imagine all those moose and caribou running for their lives from spear-welding Eskimos! In fact we made moose tacos a few days ago and gosh, that meat was dry...sure needed a lot of salsa to make it go down.

This comes from a Mod at another Forum.

Smokin Okies Vinegar Sauce

2 Cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (Packed)
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper
1 Teaspoon Cayenne

No need to cook, just combine and let sit overnight.

John

quote:

Originally posted by John A

This comes from a Mod at another Forum.

Smokin Okies Vinegar Sauce

2 Cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (Packed)
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper
1 Teaspoon Cayenne

No need to cook, just combine and let sit overnight.

John

They may call it "Smokin Okies" but that's essentially a North Carolina "pig picklin" (i.e.vinegar BBQ) sauce and that's pretty much how I make it. It can be used both as a wipe before/during cooking and sprinkled on pulled pork after.

Here's a simple one that I really like with pulled pork, as a mopping sauce: 2 c cider vinegar, 1 TB sugar, 1 TB red pepper flake or 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper, 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 tsp granulated garlic, and 1 TB pepper. For a dipping sauce for pulled pork, I like:

3/4 cup yellow mustard
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
½ teaspoon hot sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients, stirring to blend.
Over low heat, simmer 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before using.

After my first encounter with a genuine pig-pickin', I got the following from the North Carolina Pork Producers' Association--who should know better? I have served it for close to twenty years and have had a NC congressman's son say it was just like home...

2 c. cider vinegar
1T worcestershire
1T tabasco
1T chili powder
1T paprika
3T black pepper
3T salt
1/2 c. ketchup
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 c. water
Brown sugar to taste

Mix thoroughly (I pour it back into empty vinegar or ketchup bottles when I make a lot of it) and stir into pulled pork. Have extra available on the side.

>and have had a NC congressman's son say it was just like home...

Sounds good, but who can trust a politician these days?! Just kidding- I'll give your recipe a try. The weather here in NE Ohio really sucks! We've had day after day of rain, and temps well below average! I haven't been able to mow my lawn in nearly two weeks, and the forecast for the next 7-10 days is predicting more (Lots more) rain, but at least temps are finally going up- to near 80 degrees F in the next week or so.

Can any Alabamians help me with this?  There's a vinegar-based barbecue sauce made in NW Alabama, perhaps in the Red Bay area (possibly sold throughout the state), and I can't think of the name of it.  It's positively EXCELLENT (contains only vinegar and spices), but I've done searches and can't come up with it.  The name of the sauce has numbers in it, though, and I'd recognize the name if I saw it.  
 
Thanks in advance. 
Signed,
Vinegar-Breath

Did you check any of these sites? Sorry I screwed up the link.
http://www.google.ca/sear...rlz=1R1GGGL_en___CA361
 

Yes, thanks, I searched until my eyes popped out, but no luck, so I decided to take my case to the wonderul people of 'Bama.  Hope somebody can figure it out. 

Here's the Big Bob Gibson's recipe from Decatur AL:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered garlic
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely ground cayenne pepper
Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate in a jar overnight if possible to allow the flavors to meld.

Many thanks, Foodbme, I'll print that off pronto.  I had the pleasure of eating at Big Bob Gibson's in the '80s, and it is one great barbecue joint.  Hope to return someday.   Believe it or not, I finally found the sauce I was referring to.  It took two hours solid searching, but I did it: Bishop's 3 'N' 1 Stuff Bar-B-Que Sauce, made with vinegar, lemon juice, and spices.  It's made in Cherokee, Alabama, and it's OUTSTANDING. http://www.bishopsbbq.com/  

 

MellowRoast Glad you found it.  Most people don't know about the Vinegar Sauce in AL.  Smaller area even than White Sauce.
 
Believe Alabama is the only State that has all four different sauces within their State. Different parts- different sauces.
Tomato/vinegar, Tomato/Ketcup, Mustard and Vinegar
 

Curbside, you're right, the variety of sauces in Alabama is amazing. 

I'm going to have to disagree with that point - those four sauces are equally common throughout Georgia: ketchup-based in the north, tomato & vinegar in middle GA, mustard in the south and coast, and vinegar-based in the northeast.
 
What we don't have anywhere here is white sauce.  There's the point that needs bragging: Bama does five, not four.

Had my first experience with spicy mustard BBQ sauce here in Albany, GA. Nasty. To get to what I like I combined a very sweet ketchup based sauce with a peppery vinegar sauce. It was edible. Albany, as far as I can tell, is a culinary wasteland. That said, I haven't been that adventurous but I can't get a recommendation anywhere it seems so I havn't taken a lot of (any) chances.

Here is a recipe from a very good site that I frequent.
 
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
www.southernplate.com Found only in Northern Alabama
This traditional Alabama Barbecue Sauce uses Mayonnaise as its base rather than tomato sauce, vinegar, or any of the other traditional barbecue sauce bases. Like many barbecue sauces you want to apply this only at the very end of your grilling or smoking. It will breakdown and separate if it is heated too long. Use this sauce on chicken and turkey. It is also good on pork. Alabama White Barbecue Sauce has a tangy flavor that is a great addition to grilled foods.
Makes a good dipping sauce for French Fries  beside pulled pork.
2 Cups Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper
6 Tablespoons white vinegar
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons white sugar
 
Mix all ingredients together and stir well.

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. Brush lightly over chicken, turkey or pork during the last few minutes of grilling. This barbecue sauce is also great as a dipping sauce so set some aside before you start grilling to serve on the table.

Scott's sauce (find it on the Internet) contains only vinegar and spices. It is good as is, but I add some bacon grease and heat it and then apply it to pulled pork. The sauce is cheap, too, even by the case. We have been eating this for years, ever since we discovered it in a Food Lion in NC.

shortchef


Scott's sauce (find it on the Internet) contains only vinegar and spices. It is good as is, but I add some bacon grease and heat it and then apply it to pulled pork. The sauce is cheap, too, even by the case. We have been eating this for years, ever since we discovered it in a Food Lion in NC.

Yes, I'm a fan of Scott's, also, and it's excellent.  Vinegar sauces rock.  I've never heard of the bacon grease idea, but it sounds great.  Thanks for the tip.  

Heartbreaksoup


What we don't have anywhere here is white sauce.  There's the point that needs bragging: Bama does five, not four.

You sure scored with that point, Heartbreak. 

I got this recipe  from Rick Browne's TV program Barbecue America (PBS).  I made it over the weekend and have been loving every drop!  I allowed it to "ripen" overnight before serving, but the flavor seems to get better every day.  Mercy!
 
Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce
 
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
 
Combine the above ingredients and store in an airtight jar.  To make a  western North Carolina sauce, simply add the following to the abve ingredients:  1 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
 
 
 

I'm glad this thread came up again.  Some great sauces to try!

MellowRoast


I got this recipe  from Rick Browne's TV program Barbecue America (PBS).  I made it over the weekend and have been loving every drop!  I allowed it to "ripen" overnight before serving, but the flavor seems to get better every day.  Mercy!

Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce

2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine the above ingredients and store in an airtight jar.  To make a  western North Carolina sauce, simply add the following to the abve ingredients:  1 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

This is exactly how I make my Eastern Carolina Vinegar sauce, except I do add a little water, I call it "Yikes" sauce!

Yikes is right!  Chewy, if you endorse this sauce, I must have really good taste buds. 
 
About how much water do you use?

Mellowroast, I have never ever been a fan of Carolina vinegar sauce but I have toadmit that yours sound good to me.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer, I have friends who don't care for vinegar sauces, so I understand  where you're coming from on that.  It's fascinating how many different styles of barbecue sauces there are, and I was really surprised when I first encountered both white and vinegar sauces.

MellowRoast

shortchef


Scott's sauce (find it on the Internet) contains only vinegar and spices. It is good as is, but I add some bacon grease and heat it and then apply it to pulled pork. The sauce is cheap, too, even by the case. We have been eating this for years, ever since we discovered it in a Food Lion in NC.

Yes, I'm a fan of Scott's, also, and it's excellent.  Vinegar sauces rock.  I've never heard of the bacon grease idea, but it sounds great.  Thanks for the tip.  

To quote Meg Ryan: YES!  YES!  YES!!!

www.scottsbarbecuesauce.com
 

Let me throw out my idea about Carolina vinegar sauces and how they work (or don't) in other states.
 
Eastern North Carolina bbq is whole hog pork, while the Lexington style uses whole pork shoulders.  The vinegar pepper
style sauce is strong..it's the perfect compliment to cut through all the luscious rendered pork fat you get from whole hog cooking.
 
Back over in the piedmont, where pork shoulders have more than enough fat to be succulent, the meat is leaner, and doesn't provide enough fat to contrast the sharp vinegar pepper sauce of the east....so you'll find a bit of tomato and often sugar to present a nice balance.
 
Past the Carolinas, bbq doesn't always mean pork.  Even in
the Carolinas, when ribs are cooked separately, we're not brushing a the thin vinegar pepper sauce on them and watching it run off.  Our rib sauces are much more like the bbq sauce you find in Memphis.
 
Once you start adding beef brisket, and other cuts of meat into the definition of bbq, it's easier to understand why different bbq sauces evolved for different regions.
 
All this just to make sure you don't ruin your meal of "bbq"
by pouring a sharp, spicy vinegar sauce over your hot dogs or brisket!   

actually, a vinegary sauce on brisket is pretty good stuff.

Captain Morgan, it sure is good to see you here again.  I'm not sure if I've tried it on brisket, but I've used vinegar sauces on pork ribs, pulled pork, and pulled chicken with wonderful results.  Coincidentally, just yesterday, I fried up some sliced hot dogs & sausages that were slathered with it, served them on buns, and got lots of compliments.  (Of  course, some friends think I should be institutionalized.)

Captain Morgan


Let me throw out my idea about Carolina vinegar sauces and how they work (or don't) in other states.

Eastern North Carolina bbq is whole hog pork, while the Lexington style uses whole pork shoulders.  The vinegar pepper
style sauce is strong..it's the perfect compliment to cut through all the luscious rendered pork fat you get from whole hog cooking.

Back over in the piedmont, where pork shoulders have more than enough fat to be succulent, the meat is leaner, and doesn't provide enough fat to contrast the sharp vinegar pepper sauce of the east....so you'll find a bit of tomato and often sugar to present a nice balance.

Past the Carolinas, bbq doesn't always mean pork.  Even in
the Carolinas, when ribs are cooked separately, we're not brushing a the thin vinegar pepper sauce on them and watching it run off.  Our rib sauces are much more like the bbq sauce you find in Memphis.

Once you start adding beef brisket, and other cuts of meat into the definition of bbq, it's easier to understand why different bbq sauces evolved for different regions.

All this just to make sure you don't ruin your meal of "bbq"
by pouring a sharp, spicy vinegar sauce over your hot dogs or brisket!   

You are correct. When I started competing on the bbq circuit, and starting studying the art, I was amazed at the regional varieties of sauce. Here in the Atlanta area, the sauce is a mix of tomato slightly sweet, to quite spicy, to more vinegary. Go down to Columbus way, and they have mustard based sauce but it is not like SC mustard sauce, it's thinner, and usually quite spicy.

MellowRoast


Captain Morgan, it sure is good to see you here again.  I'm not sure if I've tried it on brisket, but I've used vinegar sauces on pork ribs, pulled pork, and pulled chicken with wonderful results.  Coincidentally, just yesterday, I fried up some sliced hot dogs & sausages that were slathered with it, served them on buns, and got lots of compliments.  (Of  course, some friends think I should be institutionalized.)

 
can't say I've tried it on hot dogs, lol, but I can put it on just about anything.  I just worry it's an acquired taste that some folks may find almost shocking, if it's a true eastern NC sauce....Scott's is the perfect example that folks can order...I  tell you what, if someone grabs that bottle for the first time and takes a swig, they are in for a surprise!

Thanks for the recipe, Mellow.Sounds like a winner!

Captain Morgan:  You're exactly right.  I sent some Scott's to 2 friends in Atlanta and Chicago and they both hated it!   Interestingly, a wonderful regional drive-thru chain in Middle TN and North AL, Whitt's Barbecue, serves only 2 sauces with their ribs, pork, chicken and turkey: mild vinegar and hot vinegar.  By the way, I hope you're still rockin' and rollin' over there in Myrtle Beach.
 
Ann Peeples:  Captain Morgan is right that it can be an acquired taste, but I sure loved it from the start.  Hope everything is going great up your way.