Of many different styles of BBQ sauce in the U.S., notwithstanding the excellence of Kentucky bourbon or Alabama white, to me, Carolina gold stands head and shoulder above them all. The mustard-based tangy sauce is believed to have been popularized by the German settlers since the Victorian era. Pulled pork sandwich mixed with this liquid gold is the iconic offering of the pitmasters throughout the Midlands South Carolina. Here is a recipe I developed based on my field observations and the available resources on the internet.
Ingredients:
¾ cup American mustard
¼ cup molasses*
¼ cup red wine vinegar **
1 TSP granulated onion
½ TSP granulated garlic
1 TBSP Kashmiri chili powder***
¼ TSP Mesquite smoke powder****
2 TBSP light brown sugar*****
2 TBSP butter
* To me, BBQ sauce is all about the unique flavor of molasses. You can also replace it with honey.
** Red wine vinegar provides the sauce with great color, contrasting the negative effect of the dark molasses.
*** You may use any chili powder of
choice, if you don’t mind the darker color of some varieties (e.g. Ancho).
**** You can also use smoked paprika
in the above note and omit the smoke powder. Liquid smoke can also be used. If you serve the sauce with smoked meat (as is the case in Carolina) you may skip the smoke element.
***** This sugar amount is devised for a slightly tangy sauce. You may increase it to taste.
Mix all the ingredient except for the butter and brown sugar. In a small saucepan set on low heat add the butter and sugar. Lightly caramelize the sugar and brown the butter. Add the butter/sugar mixture to the main body of the sauce when hot. Mix well, store the sauce in a jar, and let rest for at least a day, allowing the flavors to mix and develop.
Keep this sauce refrigerated as it contains butter.
One of my most favorite pizza toppings is BBQ chicken. For serving this purpose, I mixed some braised chicken thighs with my Carolina gold and topped the pizza with fermented red onion and Jalapenos (the process as
here).
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