ISO: BBQ sauce (not too sweet)

[rosen]

We love doing a small pork roast in the slow cooker for pulled pork meals... but we haven't found a sauce that we really like. The original recipe said to use Sweet Baby Ray's - which I did - and it was too sweet for us. Ditto a couple more popular brands where I compared the sugar contents and chose the lesser ones. Still too sweet for us. So I'm ready to try to make my own and there are soooooo many recipes out there!

I'm looking for tried & true versions that dial the sweet factor way down. No preference on style - just looking for a more savory flavor other than smokey sugar. We only use the lower sugar, no high fructose ketchup if that condiment is an ingredient in your recipe.

Won't be checking back until this afternoon - so thanks in advance if you have something to share.

[LakeMartinGal]

I'm not sure if this would work for you -- we don't think it's sweet, and if so, you could cut down on the sugar. Anyway, it's a start!

Chuck was the husband of a friend of mine, and he made me promise not to change the recipe in any way, except the amount of hot sauce... he didn't say I couldn't share it with people who would change it...;):p

Chuck's Famous BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
8.5 cups ketchup
2 cups water
2 Tbs mustard powder
1 Tbs pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
3 Tbs Worcerstershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbs liquid smoke
1 cup vinegar
4 Tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup molasses
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
3 Tbs dried minced onion
2 Tbs hot sauce, or to taste

Procedure
1. Mix all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 1/2 hour, or until desired thickness.

Servings: 60

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 60 calories, 10 calories from fat, 1.2g total fat, 2.9mg cholesterol, 471.3mg sodium, 178.8mg potassium, 11.8g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 9.5g sugar, 2g protein, 1.4 points.

[amarante]

I love this sauce but the honey might make it too sweet for you.



Barbecued Chicken
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

2 chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), quartered, with backs removed
Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste (10 ounces)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Marinate the chickens in 2/3 of the barbecue sauce for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat the coals in a charcoal grill. Spread the bottom of the grill with a single layer of hot coals and then add a few more coals 5 minutes before cooking, which will keep the fire going longer. Place the chicken quarters on the grill, skin side down, and cook for about 45 minutes, turning once or twice to cook evenly on both sides. Brush with the marinade as needed. The chicken quarters are done when you insert a knife between a leg and thigh and the juices run clear. Discard any unused marinade.
Serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side.


Barbecue Sauce
In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.

Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes.

Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.

[Cafe Latte]

I don't like a lot of sauces for the reason you mention. My kids like Sweet Baby Ray's, but I don't, plus I like spicier ones.

I just checked the ones I have in my fridge to compare the sugars in each:

Sweet Bay Ray's - 16 g /2 Tbsp
Rufus Teague - Touch o Heat - 13 g /2 Tbsp
Austin's Own - Medium - 4 g /2 Tbsp


I get the last two at Whole Foods and I love them both in case you are interested.

http://www.rufusteague.com/
http://www.austinsown.com/

I also like Bone Suckin' Sauce, but I don't have any on hand to check the label.

[Anne]

We really like this one - with adjustments to lower sodium and sugar. I found this on this site but neglected to note the original poster - possibly sneezles.

Smoked Chile Barbecue Sauce The Great Chile Book by Mark Miller, who is the owner/chef of Coyote Caf

Yield: 3 to 4 cups

1 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbl. ground coriander
1 med. onion, diced
1 head roasted garlic, peeled and choped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup brown sugar (I use less)
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, pureed
1 1/2 bottles tomato ketchup (I use canned low salt tomatoes)
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce - use a bit more
salt to taste (not)

Mix together the vinegars and spices in a saucepan, and over medium heat reduce by half. In a large pan, saute onion and garlic lightly in the olive oil until soft. Add the brown sugar and stir in the molasses. Reduce slightly, and then add the vinegar mixture, chipotles, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook slowly over low heat for about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste. Strain through a medium sieve, pressing out the juices of the onion and garlic.

[hAndyman]

My go to pulled pork sauce recipe is this one posted by Gretchen in NC 10 years ago (when she said she had been making her pulled pork for 30 years so that means she's now up to 40 years by my reckoning). Really good sauce with pulled pork, NC-style, not sweet, nice 'n tangy.

Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002
From: Gretchen at Gail's Recipe Swap

For BBQ sauce here is my tomato based:

1 bottle ketchup (28 or 32 oz.)
1 ketchup bottle of cider vinegar
6 oz. yellow mustard
6 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
3 oz. liquid smoke
2-3 TBS coarse black pepper
Tabasco to your taste

Simmer for 45 minutes.

Gretchen: If you use commercial bbq sauce I suggest diluting them 1/2 with vinegar for this use. Eastern NC uses vinegar sauces--sweetened vinegar with 1/4C (at least!!) cayenne pepper OR black pepper. It is too hot for me! South Carolina uses a mustard based sauce but don't know the recipe.
****

Andy: When making a single small roast I cut the recipe by 1/4 to this:

1 cup ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbs yellow mustard
3Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar, dark usually
1 1/2 Tbs liquid smoke
1/2 Tbs coarsely ground black pepper (more or less, to taste)
Tabasco or ground hot chilies, to taste
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (my addition)

Bring to a boil then simmer gently til slightly thickened.

[mizqueen]

There is also an Eating Well recipe for crockpot pulled chicken using thighs. I'm pretty sure I got it from CLBB a couple years ago. That sauce is pretty good and it's really easy. I never use bottled BBQ for grilling, but make my own as we don't like it sweet either. The EW one calls for canned green chiles to give a little oomph, but not hot. I can't remember now if the recipe called for liquid smoke, but I know I use it. I'm not too good at links - sorry - but it should show up in a search.

[faygs]

We love this simple one from Everyday Food:

Barbecue Sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup ketchup


Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.

[rosen]

All of these look so great - thank you! It'll be easy enough to go right down the line and give them all a try as we'll be doing the pulled pork on a regular basis in the coming months. DH is a more than willing trial taste tester!

The recipe is pretty brainless as it's just a pork roast (not a butt or shoulder - but the lower fat roast) that is cut in half, placed in the slow cooker and has 2 cups of your favorite sauce poured over it. Cook on low about 6 or 7 hours, check for shredd-ability, and maybe turn to high for another hour or two. Shred, stir around in the sauce and serve. Holds well for a time if done before you're ready for it and freezes very well (if there's any left). I buy several roasts when they're on sale and stick in the freezer till we get a hankering for BBQ.