5 Regional Q's

Who doesn’t love barbecue? Whether it’s beef, pork, ribs, sausages or chicken, cooked at home or tailgating, there is nothing like meat from the outdoor grill slathered in a big bold sauce. Recently I posted a picture on my social media sites of a recent dinner which featured a St. Louis cut rack of pork ribs coated with a Kansas City bbq sauce. Many people loved the pic and asked about the difference of bbq sauces. Here are 5 popular U.S. “Q” sauces.

St. Louis ribs with Kansas City BBQ sauce. Photo by: Paul McClanahan

• North Carolina Vinegar Sauce serves as a base for other bbq sauces. It contains no tomato and relies on cider vinegar and big spices such as chili flake, cayenne, pepper, hot sauce and salt. It is used mostly on pork. Simple is always better.

• Piedmont Sauce originated in western north Carolina. Heinz ketchup debuted in 1876 and people of the region were quick to use it combined with the easterners vinegar sauce, adding a sweet tomato flavor to the BBQ sauce.

• South Carolina Mustard Sauce, like the Piedmont sauce, used the original vinegar sauce to amp up their “Q’s”. Germans in the region were fond of mustard and created many variations based on their preferred mustard style.

• Texas mop sauce was created for coating large cuts of grilled or smoked meats. As the name suggests this thin glaze is applied with a small mop. They usually include beef stock, Worcestershire, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.

• Kansas City Sauce is the one we use most. It’s the stuff your dipping your Mcnuggets in. This thick, tangy, sweet and bold sauce is made with ketchup, brown sugar, liquid smoke, vinegar, soy sauce and spiced by preference.

Originally called barbacoa by the Spaniards colonizing the southeastern U.S., we have the indigenous Arawak's of the Caribbean region to thank for what we eventually named barbecue. The cooking technique has stayed the same but due to the development of new ingredients, the styles are different depending on the region. When it comes to bragging rights I guess it comes down to…. are you a Tar heel, Gamecock, Longhorn or Tiger fan?