How to make barbecue sauce

Apple barbecue sauce

How to make barbecue sauce

by Great British Chefs3 July 2015

How to make barbecue sauce

The exact origins of barbecue sauce are unclear but is believed to have come from South Carolina some time in the seventeenth century. It is generally a tomato and spice-based sauce; however, there are huge differences in varieties all over the US. Originally used to baste meat during cooking, barbecue sauce is also now more commonly served as a condiment similar to ketchup and brown sauce.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

1
Place the sugar, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar in a small saucepan and stir thoroughly to combine
2
Place the pan over a low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved
3
Add the ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper and mix well. Allow to cool before serving

Variations

For a less sweet version, replace the ketchup with some onions and chopped tomatoes that have been sweated until soft. Try adding chilli flakes or Tabasco if you're after a bit of heat, or for a smoky version, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika, or infuse with delicious smoky chilli varieties such as chipotle or morita.

Multiple flavours can be added, so feel free to experiment – Marcus Wareing adds garlic and lemon juice to his version whereas Adam Gray uses apple as the base for his recipe.

Serving suggestions

Use barbecue sauce as a marinade for meat – beef, pork and chicken all work well. Josh Eggleton barbecued sticky ribs in barbecue sauce, while Marcus Wareing uses barbecue sauce as a glaze for pork chops.

Alternatively, use it like ketchup for burgers, steak or chicken wings.

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