Some years ago, I wrote a book about the food and cooks in North Shore neighborhoods. Doing the research I never expected to find men (they were all men) from the deep South who had carried closely held family recipes for barbecue sauces with them when they moved here in the wake of the Civil Rights movement. These gentlemen wove their barbecue stories with memories of voting rights marches, lunch counter sit-ins and Negro League baseball games. Not even one of them would part with a recipe which, in many cases, had been passed down and improved upon for generations. But each was generous with invitations to sample the fabulous flavors.
I decided, then, to make my own barbecue sauce. I researched printed recipes and played with ingredients until I came up with one I liked. But I never make the same one twice. I just keep composing variations on the theme.
To get the fullest flavor from barbecue, the meat needs to marinate first in a “dry rub,” a blend of dried herbs and spices. Then massage onto the meat, wrap it in plastic wrap, and leave it overnight in the fridge. The mix can be as simple as salt and pepper, or as elaborate as the cook can dream up. Sear the meat over high heat on the grill to ready it for the sauce. Then, while it cooks low and slow, intermittently brush or “mop” the sauce onto the meat. Before starting, set aside some of the sauce for anyone who wants to slather it on the finished product.
The recipes here are a mix of simple savory and sweet ingredients. I don’t claim that they will live up to those undisclosed sauces my taste buds still remember. But they may be an improvement over a bottle or jar.
Just a thought: If you do rely on a bottled sauce, don’t hesitate to boost its flavor with a few of your own original enhancements. It can only improve.
World’s easiest barbecue sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Atlanta is a company town. Its output, Coca-Cola, finds its way into all kinds of recipes, both sweet and savory. One of the best is a tasty barbecue sauce best on burgers or country ribs.
Just whisk together 1/2 cup catsup and one cup Coca-Cola classic (not diet or sugar-free). Brush this over the meat gradually as it cooks.
Throwback barbecue sauce
Makes two cups.
Try this on chicken or short ribs. I know cooks who swear by it on shrimp. Make it up to one day ahead of using.
— Two tablespoons olive oil
— 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (yellow or Vidalia)
— Three garlic cloves, minced
— 3/4 cup tomato paste
— 1 1/2 cups water
— 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
— One teaspoon thyme
— Three tablespoons cider vinegar
— Two tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
— 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
— One tablespoon granulated brown sugar
— One teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
— Pinch cayenne pepper
— Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly colored, about 15 minutes.
— Stir in tomato paste and water. Add celery seeds, thyme vinegar, mustard, cinnamon and sugar. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
— Simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes. Lift the cover and stir occasionally and taste for seasoning.
— Refrigerate, at least two hours, covered, to blend the flavors.
Linda Bassett lived in Marblehead for years and has worked as a cook, trained up-and-coming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book, “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.
