Texas BarBQ sauce is intended for beef, not pork. More often than not beef brisket.
Considering just one region of the South, there is a great deal of variation in ingredients and approaches to BarBQ sauce. But my research indicates trends and patterns within those traditions. In the Texas tradition, those include the use of a fat in the sauce and some distinct flavors
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Culinary Patterns
Molasses vs. Blackstrap Molasses
One of the predominant differences of Texas sauce is the use of molasses. While other regions generally use brown sugar to sweeten the sauce, Texas sauce most often replaces the brown sugar with the stronger, distinct taste of molasses. Brown sugar is a combination of sugar and molasses. Molasses itself does the job.
The preference may also be to move to blackstrap molasses. Molasses is made through continued boiling and extraction from sugarcane or beets; blackstrap is from the third stage of the process. In this third stage, the sugar is crystallized and removed, leaving a resulting syrup that is less sweet. Therefore, the blackstrap taste is strong and pronounced. While this is preferred by many, my opinion is it is a taste that seems to become more predominant with each bite. Therefore, I recommend molasses in the recipe. Feel free to substitute blackstrap molasses if you prefer. You may also want to add back some brown sugar.
Chili
Southern Cuisine
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Texas barbecue sauce lends itself to hot chili peppers or dried peppers added based on personal taste. The recipe calls for cumin, which is frequently added alongside the pepper to give a familiar combined taste. But for the pepper itself, the recipe calls for smoked paprika. Cayenne, chipotle or other dried peppers all work depending on taste.
Fat
Historical recipes for BarBQ sauce often include an added fat. In a different time a barbecue was more than a meal; it was an event with very slow cooking. Rendered fat from this cooking was added to the sauce. This practice has dropped over time, but is still more prevalent in Texas sauces. For convenience, this recipe uses butter.
Texas BBQ Sauce
Did someone mention brisket?
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat. Stir to combine and bring to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes. It is ready to use or store in a refrigerator. If to store, transfer immediately to a sanitized glass container. The sauce should store well refrigerated for a few days.
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 31Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 3mgSodium 234mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 0g
Calculated Nutrition is estimated.
