Open-fire cooking has been around since there were people with the ability to create a flame but what we think of as traditional, American barbecue today came along a lot later down the line. Just as with all traditions, everyone has their own take on how to do it properly and which sauce you use is a big way to differentiate styles. From the well-known Kansas City BBQ sauce to the wild, golden sauce of Central South Carolina, there is a sauce that’s perfect for every cut of meat, style of cooking, and every person’s personal tastes. So let’s take a look at the history beyond some of the most popular sauces and how they’re used.
Eastern North Carolina
Vinegar-Based Sauce
You know it, you love it–the vinegar-based BBQ sauce that’s a staple around these parts. Unlike our tomato-loving friends over yonder in NC, we like to keep things a bit tangier. Plus, we get to claim the distinction of being the oldest of all US BBQ sauces. Cooking pork with a variety of this vinegar sauce has been recorded since the 1600s. Another, age-old tradition in our region is whole-hog, live fire BBQ which we then chop and finish it off with our signature sauce.
When To Use It: Mop it on while smoking or pour it into your chopped (or pulled) pork after it’s done cooking like we do at Sam Jones
Cooking Tip: Unlike other BBQ sauces, which have a higher sugar content and can burn on the grill/smoker, vinegar sauce is often "mopped" on while the meat smokes since it wont burn.
Best On: Chopped Pork, Chicken
Make some Eastern North Carolina BBQ at home with our Sam Jones Vinegar Sauce.
Western North Carolina
Tomato-Based Sauce
Believe it or not, eating tomatoes was not standard in the US until the 1800s, so the advent of a tomato-based BBQ came after the vinegar sauces. Unlike the thick Kansas City sauce (described below), this sauce is relatively thin, building off the base of the vinegar sauce and adding ketchup and sometimes, more sugar. This balance of sweet and sour was popular with the German immigrants in the area who are credited with the inspiration for its creation. It’s also referred to as Piedmont style or Lexington style.
When To Use It: Add after cooking
Best On: Pork Shoulder
We’ve got our very own version of this sauce, check it out here.
Kansas City
Sweet, Tomato-Based Sauce
No matter whether you’re technically standing in Kansas or Missouri, you’re probably eating Kansas-City style BBQ. And they like to keep themselves busy cooking all kinds of meats: pork ribs, brisket, chicken, sausage – you name it, they’re probably cooking it. And while they’re cookin’, they’re lathering their meat with their signature thick, tomato and molasses BBQ sauce.
When To Use It: Slather it on while cooking; Dress your meats; Use as a dip
Best On: Well, they seem to put it on everything
Central South Carolina
Mustard-Based Sauce
While there are a few varieties of BBQ sauce in South Carolina, one of the most unique is their yellow, mustard-based sauce, dubbed “Carolina Gold.” Its origins can be traced back to the 1700s when German immigrants settled in the area, bringing with them one of their favorite ingredients: mustard. As BBQ traditions evolved in the region, this ingredient found a home in this sauce, adding tangy complexity to slow-cooked meats.
When To Use It: Pour it into your chopped (or pulled) pork after it’s done cooking; Dress your meats
Best On: Chopped or Pulled Pork, Chicken, Pork Ribs
Memphis
Sauce Deniers
Middle/West Tennessee claims whole-hog BBQ but over in the city of Memphis, they are famous for their dry rub ribs. Unlike many other barbecue traditions, these ribs are coated with a mixture of spices and then cooked over a charcoal grill. Charlie Vergos and Little John of the restaurant Rendezvous in Downtown Memphis are credited with establishing this style. The rubs are usually a mix of paprika, garlic, cayenne, cumin, and up to a dozen others. But if you’re itching for some sauce, you just need to order your ribs “wet.”
When To Use It: Create your rub and heavily season your ribs before cooking
Best On: Pork Ribs
Check out our rubs, good on everything from pork and steaks to fish and veggies.
Alabama
Mayonnaise-Based Sauce
There really is a sauce for anyone and this Alabama white sauce proves it. This sauce was created by Big Bob Gibson who brought it to his BBQ restaurants. They make it with mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, but like most sauces, everyone’s got their own variation. And each chicken that comes out of the pit gets baptized in a batch of white sauce to help it keep nice and moist. Now the sauce has spread beyond Alabama and its use as an ingredient works well with everything from a meat marinade to a drizzle on vegetables.
When To Use It: Coat chicken after smoking or grilling
Best On: Chicken
We hope you enjoyed reading a bit about BBQ sauce history. And if you’ve worked up an appetite, come on over for a visit or start an online order. See ya soon!