About BBQ Sauces

What makes a good bbq sauce...
Barbecue sauces are applied during cooking for basting or braising, and used after cooking as a condiment.

BBQ sauces at their purest are simply tomato sauce bases with the addition of sweet, spicy, and acidic elements. Vinegar brings out rich flavors, and sugar compliments the smoky flavors. Fiery spice makes everything better. In my opinion, a good sauce is a careful balance or sugar, spice (hot pepper), and vinegar. Of course, there are also mustard sauces, which uses a mustard seed base instead of tomato. The careful addition of aromatics gives any sauce depth.

Types of sauces...
Where you place the balance between sugar, hot pepper, and vinegar gives a sauce it's regional character and charm. Southern sauces are usually sweeter, with little spice. Southwestern sauces trend towards heavy spice (hot pepper). So called Tennessee style tends to be more carefully balanced. There are countless variations named after cities and states. Ultimately, these distinctions break down at the kitchen level, and a given cook (sauce creator) uses judgment to decide on the sauce's balance and on the addition of other flavorings.

To sauce or not to sauce...
Good cooks usually emphasize the use of barbecue sauce as a condiment, not a main flavoring ingredient of the meats. I agree. The meats should speak for themselves. The sauces should only complement the meaty and smoky flavors. After tasting the meats without sauce, the playful and careful addition of sauce is an essential part of the barbecue experience. That's why, in these reviews, I stress the benefit of a selection of sauces from which to choose. It's simply more fun. In addition, a good, bold sauce can rescue overcooked or poorly seasoned meats.