Easy Peasy BBQ Sauce

This recipe is from Aubrey's paternal grandmother, and it has been used for many many cookouts over the past few decades. I'm thankful to have the recipe in my hands because it's so delicious and unbelievably simple. If you like to make things "semi-homemade," you'll love this recipe. We use the Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce for the base, but feel free to use a sweet BBQ sauce if you like.  I realize that some people prefer a smoky flavor and others prefer sweet. My taste buds like a smoky vinegar based BBQ sauce, and thankfully my hubs likes the same.

 

Easy Peasy BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
1 (18-oz bottle) Kraft Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup white vinegar
10 to 12 shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the sauce starts to boil, remove from heat.

Source: Doris Bishop (Aubrey's grandmother)

Aubrey's Famous Dipping Sauce

My husband makes the best dipping sauce I've ever had, and it's only 2 ingredients. This will probably be the simplest recipe I'll ever have on this blog, but it has so much flavor. He makes 2 different variations of this sauce to go with egg rolls, avocados, steamed artichokes, raw veggies, and a variety of other things. It's even great on top of burgers.

Are you ready for the recipe???
Here it is:
It's only mayo plus a few shakes of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. That's it; I told you it was simple!
You use mayo as your base. I like to use the olive oil or canola oil mayo. Then you add a few shakes of soy sauce or the Worcestershire sauce until you get it to the desired flavor, and BAM (as Emeril would say)!

We recently discovered a new soy sauce made with Tabasco. This is our favorite thing to mix with the mayo.

Source: My Man

Pig Dip

Aubrey has really perfected his BBQ-ing skills over the past month. He smokes his meat for about 16 hours, and it's the most tender meat I've ever tasted. It literally falls off the bone. When he started his hobby of smoking meat, I knew I needed to find BBQ sauce recipes that would complement his meat.
This pig dip sauce did just what I wanted it to do. This is a very thin vinegar/ketchup-based sauce that would be good for a baste mop or a finishing slather. We use it as a post-cooking soak for the meat. We pour the sauce over the pulled pork and mix it throughout. I prefer this over the thick BBQ sauces because this coats every square inch of the meat.
If you would like another great BBQ sauce, you should try the White BBQ Sauce.



Big Bob Gibson's Western Carolina Pig Dip

Ingredients:
4 cups distilled vinegar
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper

**Note that this makes 6 1/2 cups of sauce. I usually cut these ingredients in half when we smoke a 6 pound pork butt.

Directions:
In a large nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Make at least 24 hours prior to usage for best flavor. Store the sauce in a tightly covered jar for up to 1 month refrigerated.

When meat is pulled or chopped, mix the sauce throughout the meat. We like to serve on slider buns with a warm pickle and maybe even some cole slaw on top.

Source: Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book

Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce

I made a pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and this sauce really complimented it. I found the recipe last minute, and I had to run to the grocery store on Wednesday to get some heavy cream. It was a mad-house in the grocery store. Now I remember why I like to shop ahead of time. And it's also the same reason I don't go shopping on Black Friday. I refuse to compete with the crowds.

This sauce was absolutely amazing. It would also be good on most pies, cheesecakes, and ice cream recipes.... not just pecan pie. If you have a way of getting real maple syrup, do it! I ordered some from Vermont, and it tastes like nothing I've ever tasted before. We've been enjoying it on yogurt every morning, and I've also used it in several other cooking/baking recipes. My favorite is the Grade A Medium, which is the most common table syrup.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon Whiskey (optional)

Directions:
Combine cream, maple syrup, and corn syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine.
Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick (sauce should bubble slightly as it's cooking).
When sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in whiskey. Return to heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir before serving. Drizzle over pies and ice cream.

Source: Pioneer Woman

White Bar-B-Q Sauce

If you've never tried white BBQ sauce, you are missing out. White sauce has a vinegar base and was started in Alabama (or so they say), which is my home. Needless to say, I'm partial to the white sauce. Aubrey made some ribs, and I made the white bbq sauce to go with them. I also used it for the pork butt that he smoked. This will definitely be my "go-to" sauce from now on.



Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Use as a marinade, baste, or dipping sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 4 cups

Source: Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book

Grilled Red Snapper with Mild Red Thai Curry Sauce

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! I absolutely loved this sauce because it's so different from the norm. The recipe is originally for Mahimahi, but we have a ton of Red Snapper that we need to use up. As the recipe name implies, it is "mild." My dad was in town visiting when I made this, and he really doesn't like spicy foods. Next time I may add some red pepper just to give it a little kick since we like a little heat.


Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato puree
2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
4 Red Snapper Fillets (8 ounces each)... or whatever fish you have available
Olive oil for grilling
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Prepare grill. Measure all ingredients, and have them ready by the stove. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic ginger, and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and add curry powder, curry paste, paprika, and cumin. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Raise the heat back to medium, and add soy sauce, tomato puree, brown sugar, and coconut milk, whisking well after each addition. When small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, simmer very gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not allow it to boil. Brush the fish fillets with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Source: At Blanchard's Table by Melinda and Robert Blanchard

Red Snapper with Chowder Sauce

My dad came up this week and he and Aubrey went fishing for Red Snapper (the season started Monday). The product of their trip is in the picture below. Wowza! They caught several of these suckers, so we'll have lots of fish and sauce recipes to follow.


This recipe is adapted from Frank Sitt's Southern Table cookbook. He is a famous chef that has a couple of resteraunts in Birmingham, AL (where I'm from). His recipe is actually "Flounder with Clam Chowder Sauce," but we had red snapper, and I took out a ton of his sauce ingredients. The sauce still tasted like a chowder, but without clams, potatoes, etc.

Ingredients:
4 filets fresh fish (we used red snapper)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely minced
Several thyme sprigs
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Grill the fish about 7 minutes on each side on a medium-hot grill, or until flaky.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the shallot and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are slightly softened and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream; stir and keep warm. Take the sprigs of thyme out of the mixture.
Serve on top of the fish.

White BBQ Sauce
with Smoked Ribs

White BBQ sauce origitated in Alabama, and if you haven't tried it... it is a MUST! I actually prefer white BBQ sauce to the red. If you add it to the meat on the grill, add it at the end of the grilling or smoking so it doesn't break down. I like to use it as a dipping sauce, especially with grilled chicken. This particular recipe is from Cooking Light. It's best if it's made ahead (at least 8 hours before serving), but you can serve immediately, too. It lasts up to 1 week in the fridge in an air tight container.

White BBQ Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup light mayo
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 TBSP black pepper
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Yield 1 cup

Nutritional Info:
Per 2 TBSP
Calories 53; Fat 5.1g (sat. 1g); Protein 0.1g; Carbs 1.7g; Fiber 0.3g; Chol. 5mg; Iron 0.3mg Sodium 139mg; Calcium 4mg.

Smoked Ribs:
Ingredients:
Slabs of ribs
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Get smoker ready, and place seasoned ribs inside. Smoke around 350 degrees for several hours (we smoked them for about 6 hours).

Veggie Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Aubrey and I ate out this weekend, and we were served vegetable stir-fry with peanut sauce for our side item. We loved it so much, and I was inspired to try to make it myself. I chose my own vegetables, and I got a recipe for the peanut sauce from http://www.recipezaar.com/. Next time I'll probably use 1/2 of the soy sauce. I served this over brown rice.

Ingredients:
Stir-fry
1-2 TBSP peanut oil
1 bunch of asparagus (cut the ends off and discard; cut the remainder in half)
1/2 bag of fresh broccoli
2 large carrots, sliced lengthwise
1/2 bag snow peas

Peanut Sauce
2 TBSP creamy peanut butter
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I'll use 1 TBSP next time)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
cayenne pepper

Directions:
Stir fry
Heat oil in a wok on high heat. Stir fry the vegetables until tender but still crispy.

Peanut Sauce
Combine all ingredients and stir until creamy. (It helps to soften the peanut butter in the microwave.)
Add sauce to the stir-fry during the last minute of cooking, stirring to coat food evenly (I added the sauce to the individual dishes instead. I did this because I only like a little bit of sauce).