Barbecue Sauce Styles of the USA
Ask ten pitmasters about barbecue sauce and you will get ten strong opinions. American sauces fall into a handful of families, each tied to a region and a favorite meat. Here is a tour.
Why sauce matters
Sauce can do three jobs: add flavor, balance the richness of fatty smoked meat, and add moisture. Some styles mop it on during cooking, some glaze at the end, and some serve it only at the table. In some places, sauce is barely used at all. Knowing the families helps you match the right sauce to the right meat.
The main families
Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce
Thin and sharp: vinegar, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt, sometimes with a little sugar. No tomato. It is splashed onto whole hog or chopped pork, cutting the richness of the meat. See Carolina vinegar sauce.
Lexington (western North Carolina) dip
The Piedmont version adds a modest amount of ketchup or tomato to the vinegar base, plus pepper and a little sugar. Still thin, slightly red, and used on pork shoulder and in the region's red slaw.
South Carolina mustard sauce
A yellow, tangy sauce of prepared mustard, vinegar, sugar and spices, associated with parts of South Carolina, especially the Midlands. Often called "Carolina Gold." Excellent on pulled pork.
Kansas City sauce
The style most Americans picture when they hear "barbecue sauce": thick, sweet and tangy, with a tomato base, molasses or brown sugar, vinegar and spices. Brushed on near the end of cooking or served on the side. See Kansas City sauce.
Memphis sauce
Tomato-based and often thinner and tangier than Kansas City sauce, with vinegar and spice. Used on "wet" ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. "Dry" Memphis ribs skip sauce in favor of a rub. See Memphis barbecue.
Texas sauce
Central Texas brisket is often served with no sauce at all, or with a thin, savory sauce on the side that may include beef drippings, tomato, vinegar, chili and Worcestershire. East Texas sauces tend to be sweeter and tomato-based. See Texas barbecue.
Alabama white sauce
A mayonnaise-based sauce with vinegar, black pepper, and often horseradish and lemon, from northern Alabama. Traditionally used on smoked chicken, sometimes dunking the whole bird.
Sauce at a glance
| Style | Base | Texture | Classic pairing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern NC | Vinegar, pepper | Thin | Whole hog |
| Lexington dip | Vinegar, a little tomato | Thin | Pork shoulder |
| South Carolina | Mustard, vinegar | Medium | Pulled pork |
| Kansas City | Tomato, molasses or brown sugar | Thick | Brisket, ribs, burnt ends |
| Memphis | Tomato, vinegar | Medium-thin | Wet ribs, pork sandwiches |
| Texas | Drippings, tomato, chili | Thin | Brisket (on the side) |
| Alabama white | Mayonnaise, vinegar | Creamy | Smoked chicken |
Mops and glazes
A mop is a thin liquid, often vinegar or broth based, brushed or dabbed on meat during long cooks to add flavor and moisture. A glaze is a thicker, often sweet sauce brushed on near the end so it sets without burning. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises applying sauce during the last 15 to 30 minutes of smoking to prevent excess browning or burning.
Sauce safety
- Never brush sauce on cooked meat with a brush that touched raw meat.
- Divide your sauce before cooking: one container for basting, one for the table.
- FSIS advises that marinade used on raw meat should not be reused on cooked food unless it is boiled first. Reserve some marinade before the raw meat goes in if you want to use it later.
- Refrigerate homemade sauces, especially those containing mayonnaise or fresh ingredients.
Making your own
Homemade sauce is easy and lets you balance sweet, sour, heat and smoke to your taste. Start with a style, taste as you go, and remember that sauce often tastes stronger on its own than on meat. Our guides to Carolina vinegar sauce and Kansas City sauce include basic methods.
Matching sauce to meat
- Fatty pork: sharp vinegar or mustard sauces cut through richness.
- Brisket: taste it plain first; add a little thin Texas sauce or a sweet Kansas City sauce on the side.
- Ribs: dry rub, a light glaze, or full Memphis wet style.
- Chicken: Alabama white sauce or a tangy tomato sauce.
Learn more about the regional styles behind these sauces, or pair them with a rub.
Storing sauces
Keep homemade sauces covered in the refrigerator. Vinegar-based sauces are sharp and simple; tomato and mayonnaise-based sauces should be kept cold and used within a reasonable time. Never return sauce that has touched raw meat, or a brush used on raw meat, to the main container. When you reheat a sauce to serve it, FSIS advises bringing sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil.
Store-bought or homemade?
Both have a place. A good bottled sauce saves time; homemade lets you tune the balance of sweet, tangy, spicy and smoky to your own taste. Many cooks start with a bottle and doctor it with vinegar, pepper or a little of their rub.
Sources
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