bbq sauce (base)

Everyone has their own favorite bbq sauce, but let’s admit it – usually it’s store bought. There’s nothing really wrong with that, and there are definitely some good sauces out there to buy. I didn’t get into the idea of making it from scratch myself until I started living somewhere where it’s virtually impossible to find. I know, I didn’t think that was even possible. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to throw something together quickly in case you run out, or want something fresh and customizable, or a way of giving your burger an original and personal touch? I think it’s worth a try.

Let me start out by acknowledging that everyone has different tastes on this, but what we’ll make is a launching pad – something to build from. I imagine you’ve noticed that with a lot of my stuff, but I like solid basics. If you have some solid basics down, it’s easy to be original and creative by adding this or that to suit your own tastes.

So what are the solid basics when it comes to bbq sauce? Well, for one, it’s based around tomatoes. That’s the main ingredient. Whether you’re using fresh tomatoes, paste, or ketchup (catsup? Anyone?), that’s the body of the flavor. Tomatoes naturally lean towards both sweet and tart flavors, so that’s the next step. For the sweet it’s sugar or honey (unless you’re a dire fan of Sweet-N-Low), and for the tart it’s vinegar.

You can see I’ve already given you a load of options – what kind of vinegar, tomato choices, sweeteners, etc. From there you add in your spices and additional flavors to make the sauce unique. Check the labels of bbq sauces in the store for inspiration if you’re feeling low on creativity. I’ve seen everything from onion powder to coffee to chocolate, and I’m sure there’s a whole lot more recipe secrets out there worthy of lifting an eyebrow at.

The great thing about having a building block to work from is that you can change it to fit with many different dishes. Maybe some rosemary to have it go with that lamb, maybe some red wine, garlic and shallots to fit it with that skirt steak. So, here’s my simple, basic recipe, the base that I like to think you'll soon be putting your own twists to.

simple, quick bbq

●3 Ketchup

●1 Honey heated thin (and not just any honey!)

●1 Vinegar (I blend rice and balsamic here)

●1/4 Mustard (whole-grain here)

●Hot sauce (optional, but not really that optional)

●Black pepper (or another seasoning of your choice, like paprika or onion powder)

●Salt (not cooking salt!)

●Lemon (to taste)

Mix all together and there you go. As for the ratios, I use about a 3 to 1 to 1, with the hot sauce and seasoning to taste. Maybe you're astounded that I don't use garlic? I am a garlic lover, but I don't need it every time. Add it when the menu calls for it. Give it a try!

too-may-toe, too-ma-toe, tomato sauce

Tomato sauce, one of the official members of the haute five since Auguste Escoffier’s interpretations of the mother sauces, is one of those most basic and most necessary to conquer. It is the underlying source of so many beautiful dishes. If you can make a good tomato sauce, you are well on your way towards delicious pastas, pizzas, soups, and myriads more.

If you are still buying your tomato sauce in a jar, this recipe is a must for you. Have you ever tasted that stuff right out of the jar and actually liked it? DIY it and not only can you make it perfectly to your tastes, but perfectly suited to your meals as well. So, that’s what we’re going to do.

Good tomatoes are naturally quite sweet, but leaving them in a can gives them tartness as time progresses. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s something to keep in mind later when we balance the flavors. First of all - and this should be obvious – a tomato sauce can only be as good as its tomatoes. That’s why I rather heartily demand that you find Italian canned tomatoes and accept no substitutes. The Italians know how to take care of their tomatoes. Oftentimes, those canned tomatoes are better than what I can get fresh locally, so don’t think badly of them just for being in a can. Also here’s a tip – don’t be fooled by labels advertising “Italian-style” tomatoes, check for the “prodotto in Italia” – make sure that they’re actually tomatoes grown in Italy.

 
The tartness in the canned tomatoes has to be balanced, but with what? You might think of adding sugar as a sweetener to combat the sourness, but I prefer to use that tartness to our advantage rather than counter-attack against it like it’s some kind of bad flavor. Garlic, and the richness that garlic contains, will do most of the work for us here. Frying the garlic in the pan a bit before adding your tomatoes is just what gives a great balance to the sour notes within.

The other trick is using whole tomatoes. If you want a really smooth sauce, feel free to blend and strain it after making, but make it first. I’m convinced this creates a richer something, and the tinny flavor seems less infused in the tomatoes packed this way. You can add anything to this either during or after it has been created to make it fit your style, so give this a shot.

honey, I got you some mustard sauce

Honey mustard is an underused sauce. I almost want to say honey mustard is an underused concept. Think about it, it's too often the sauce relegated to McD's and KFC. Fast-food fare. Pushed to the side next to the McNuggets. That's not the image I have of it. This is a sauce that can be elegant, versatile (again my two favorite words), and amazingly poignant. Ham, chicken, salads dressings - there's lots of uses for this basic recipe mixing a spicy tangy seed (mustard) with a sweet natural sugar (honey).

Honey mustard sauce

Pommery, a serious mustard for serious mustard gourmets

●Whole-grain mustard (Pommery, I love you)

●Yellow mustard (or Dijon, which tastes better but is surely less American)

●Soy sauce (just a drop)

●Coarse ground black pepper (accept no pre-ground!)

●Honey (microwaved until thin)

●Something spicy (I like sambala)

●Sea salt (salt is really too obvious to include as an ingredient but hey)

●Ginger powder

Just combine everything in a bowl. Nothing raw here so you can use it immediately if you like as a dip, spread or topping. Super easy and super quick, and of course you can modify the recipe with your own additions.

A note about Moutarde de Meaux Pommery.  This is a French mustard that's been a Pommery family secret since the 1700s. It's a whole-grain mustard, and I'm confident that it's incomparable to any other whole-grain mustard out there. It has the spicy bite of whole mustard seeds, but simultaneously the soft mellowness of Dijon mustard. The recipe is still guarded closely but the ingredients are all natural products from the Meaux region. Even now it comes in an earthenware jar and the wax seal with a distinctly old-world presence to it. By the way, if you're in America and don't recall having seen this one in the store, that's because it's not distributed in America anymore. Import tariffs to America became too high for the small-batch numbers that Pommery produces. More luck for those living in Canada, where it's still available, or if you're like me, in Japan.

Another thing you can do is use it as a marinade for chicken or meat. I also find it to be a nice salad dressing if you emulsify it with oil. If you want to do that, slowly drizzle oil while beating the mixture with a fork or whisk.

You could also pour it into a frying pan and cook it down into a thick drizzle sauce, which will give it rich flavors from the mustard seed. Brilliant.