bbq pork vs NC style vinegar

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shellbellc

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Jun 7, 2006
1,757
19
Valley Forge, PA
OK, I've made pulled pork for folks round here and most of them LOVE it, but I get enough people say that they don't like the vinegar based style. I'm making two shoulders from Costco tomorrow for our tailgate party out at Notre Dame on Saturday. I'm going to try just making pulled pork but using a BBQ sauce instead of the vinegar base.

Has anyone done it this way and if so, what sauce did you use?
 
I prefer the vinegar base also. What I do is mop it during the cook with the vinegar base sauce, add a little when pulled and mix it together real well. When I serve, I give them a choice of BBQ or vinegar base finishing sauce. It works well for me... never any complaints.

Hope this helps!
 
I generally don't put any bbq sauce on the pork. I'll let my guests decide what sauce to use if any. I'll put the sauce on the side.

Now one of my favorite sauces is Pappy's White Lightening. Not too thick and has a great flavor.
 
Being out here on the plains, I've never had the vinegar-based style of sauce. (but I am planning on making some up soon so I can try it) Around here pulled pork is typically served without any sauce on it. Folks can then add what they like.

I just tried SoFlaQuer's Carolina Mustard Sauce (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=2516) and it is GREAT!!

I am smoking the meat for our family Thanksgiving... pulled pork, ribs and maybe a turkey. And I plan on having 2 or 3 different sauces ready so folks can choose their own taste.

Hope this helps.
 
What HB said, Shell. Jeff's mustard sauce is great, I havee had people that do not even like mustard flip for it
 
Don't like the vingar? What kind of freaks are you hanging out with?
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Juuussst kidding.
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The so called "Carolina" style vinegar based is my favorite too, but I admit that I have had some that was overpowering. One of the easiest things to do would be to hit a couple of the local BBQ joints and buy a pint or quart of their sause and set it out in a squeez bottle labeled with the restraunts name and type of sause for your guest to choose from. (maybe not the purist way, but some folks do have a favorite)

I would have to say that mixing a little sause in with the pulled pork is essential for a couple of reasons. One it should help keep the meat from drying out and the other is that it helps give it the root flavor of your sause as it sets in. It is after all "Your" BBQ and your style. Carfully consider and check your sause, if it is strong or loud in one flavor maybe tone it down just a touch before mixing with the pulled pork to get the base flavor on the meat or cut back on how much you mix in with the meat. I doubt that I use more than a quarter cup of sause for a butt after it is pulled and sitting in the bowl, using the drippings from the cooking is usually what I use to help keep it moist.


Having a varity of sauses to choose from for the final dressing is always kind of nice, I just never know what I might like best that day. Sweet honey mustard, blazing hot peppers, tangy vinegar, smoky tomato......I ain't proud, I will try them all!
 
Well I'll be leaving Thursday from NW of Philly heading on the turnpike West through PA, OH, and finally IN. The chances of me finding a Q joint on the way are about as likely as Notre Dame beating Navy this weekend!!
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Just kidding, I'm actually a huge fan!! I think what I'll do then is use my NC style that I use to just have enough to keep moist and then offer a KC type bbq, a NC finishing sauce, and maybe I will try the mustard. We're kicking off the tailgate with dogs, burgers and brats so that would go on them also.
 
For a nice "KC Style" bbq sauce, I like Sweet Baby Rays. Around here it is available in most grocery stores. It is made in Chicago so it might be in the Indiana area.
 
Hey Shell,
I do this when I'm too lazy to make my own sauce:
Go out and buy 2 bottles Cattle Mans regular. Cut the first bottle with about a cup of apple juice chill and serve. Take the second bottle dump it into a pan add 5 to 6 Tablespoons of a good seedless raspberry jam ( I like to use Harry and Davids) and about 4/5 Tablespoons of chiplote powder. Heat slowly untill the jam is disolved, adjust jam and chipolte powdeer to taste, let cool and enjoy.
Also I would make some Carolina Sauce anyway and bring it too. Let then pick what sauce they want.
Enjoy the game
 
I like to blend a little vinegar sauce with any of the BBQ sauces and thin it a bit more with Apple juice or beer ... heat it up ... and just moisten the pulled pork with it ... serve the rest on the side.
 
I'd hate to see sugary brown or red store bought BBQ sauce on your pulled.....it's just so overpowering. If you're going to a supermarket, in the BBQ sauce section try to find something a little offbeat, a mustard sauce, anything that's not "Kraft". Also buy a little 99 cent bottle of cider vinegar and some apple juice and PLAY with the flavors. The store bought stuff is for those that have to cover up the flavor of their grilled to death ribs at 400*F and flames....not our (your) finely tuned creation. The red stuff is what everybody else serves, not you! JMHO
 
I shudder at the thought of store bought
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But I am not above doctoring up a bottle of something in a pinch
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I have bought sause at BBQ joints before, some places are real proud of their stuff and want big bucks for pre-bottled versions of their sause, while other places will sell you a quart in a styrofoam container for a couple of bucks. The thing is, most joints are buying "their" sause wholesale and maybe doctoring it up a little in the back room before serving.


I have to agree with most folks, in that, store bought stuff is almost always just too much on the sweet syrup side. I thin the stuff with whatever I have on hand, vingar, coke, beer, cider, lemon/lime and of course I have to start adding a little pepper, garlic..............
 
Sweet Baby Ray's is what the people around here like when they don't like the vinegar. It's good store-bought "traditional" style barbecue sauce and I like it more than any of the store-bought sauces.

You could also try crazy horse's mustard sauce or some of the KC recipes that are around. I've done the KC and it's really sweet which some people like. (it worked great as a meatloaf topper)
 
I personally dont like the "Carolina Style" Vinegar either, I find it overpowering. When I do pork butts, after they are pulled I mix in a little bbq sauce, and like other have said, I offer sauce on the side. I use Head Country,Blues Hog,or Big Bob Gibsons Traditonal Red for my sauce of choice.

You may be able to Find BBG at some stores, but the HC and BH are probably mail order...
 
Personally I don't use a sauce when eating good butt. We use our own rub and serve it dry with a choice of three sauces, two of which are of our own creation. One mustard and one tomato based. The other store bought makes me shudder is KC Masterpeice original
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which covers up the flavor of any meat it's put on.....but we go with what our customers wants and needs are and a few just don't know......
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I'm with the sauces on the side.

BBQ is the way you cook the meat. NOT what is put on the BBQ.

It bugs me that the even call that store bought stuff BBQ sauce, the sauce isn't BBQ the meat is. Far to many people & restaurants put that sauce on poorly cooked meat & think that it is BBQ
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I rarely use sauce on my Q. Especially not store bought. Just dont like to cover the flavor of good cookin with sweet gunk. When I do need a sauce to kick up the flavor, this is what I use.

BUZARDS BREATH BARBECUE SAUCE

2c chopped onion
1c very strong coffee
1c worchestershire sauce
1c catsup
1/2c cider vinegar
1/2c brown sugar
3Tbs chili powder
1ts freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic pressed
1 pureed habanero pepper
seeds included

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
Puree in a blender or food processor.

No sweet here, just good flavors to compliment good meat!
 
I wound up serving sauce on the side...we were a little limited because this was a tailgate party that was packed up Thursday morning in PA and set out on Saturday afternoon in Indiana. I has a small side burner that I heated sauce up so that if anyone wanted to sauce theirs, they had the option...Everyone loved it!!!
 
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