Original Shack BBQ Sauce (1949)

[BGKYSmoker]

I have had this recipe for years. Made it a few times and always comes out great.

This sauce is from the Shack in Littlerock Arkansas,1949.
Recipe follows.

I made it yesterday.

Don't be ascared of the ingredients.......lol

Garlic salt

Chili powder, 4oz

Sugar.

Now mix all the dry together, set aside while you get the wet all mixed up.
(Follow the recipe).....Keep the ketchup bottles.

After the sauce has simmered, let it cool
Also do not cover the pot at any time during cooking.

Recipe.

---

The Shack Barbecue Sauce​

NOTE: I could not find wally grapette at either of ours close. I only used 1/2 the bottle of tobasco.

Mix in a large bowl:
3 - 24 ounce bottle of ketchup (Use the plastic ones, we will refill after making sauce.)
3 - 24 ounce bottles of water, swoosh around and dump contents into bowl of "Wet Stuff" (For original recipe use Grapette from Wal Mart).
1 pint vinegar
Put "wet stuff' in a LARGE pan, put heat on "high."
By the time it is approaching a boil, you will have "dry stuff' prepared.

Dry Stuff:
Since you dumped wet stuff out of bowl, why not use for 'dry'?
Into bowl, dump:
1 - 4 ounce can of chili powder
1 - 4 ounce can of black pepper
1 - 4 ounce can of garlic salt (SALT, NOT garlic powder!!!)
1/2 cup - sugar
1 - small Tabasco (anywhere from 1 to 4 ounces..start with about 1 oz...you can 'play' to taste after whole mess is completed.
1 - small mustard (size of an apple, just regular ole smear on a hotdog yeller mustard)
Stir dry contents together
Dump all this stuff into pan on stove now approaching a simmer if you have been quick, and if you rinsed out the catsup with HOT water;-)
Stir enough to make it evenly liquid
Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to a simmer.
30 minutes, (stir fairly often to avoid sticking).. during which the vinegar will bring sweat to your forehead, and tears to your eyes...think ventilation here.
Remove from heat, pour back into bottles you saved, unfortunately, you will have an excess of sauce. Improvise.
You now have a LOT of sauce. I always do, and find it MOST welcome as a gift.

Additional Notes
Do it this way the first time, later, you may substitute Grapette, for the water (seriously) SHACK DID for several decades ... for total authenticity you can obtain Grapette from Wal Mart
I add about a cup of sugar to my sauce, but this is heresy, and practice has strong adherents and detractors.
Likewise minced onions, NOT authentic, but can be pleasant.
Do NOT futz with the amount of black pepper. I KNOW it sounds like a lot. Trust me on this.
Also remember garlic SALT, not garlic powder!

 

[TNJAKE]

Man that sounds like a tasty sauce and I like the color. Thanks for the recipe.....bookmarked

 

[bauchjw]

Thank you for the recipe! I love doing my own sauces and this looks incredible! Book marked, but I need to figure out what Grapette is! Grape Soda?

 

[1MoreFord]

Thank you for the recipe! I love doing my own sauces and this looks incredible! Book marked, but I need to figure out what Grapette is! Grape Soda?

Yes, Grapette was grape soda. More specifically it was a regional Southern grape soda from Arkansas.

Walmart(or it's supplier) is said to have acquired the original recipe. However I looked on the Walmart site and didn't find it anymore. IIRC it was sold as a Walmart brand.

Grape Crush or Sunkist Grape, while not original, is probably the best sub.

The sauce is killer great. It is the sauce I think of when I want chopped pork or beef BBQ.

For the longest I thought all BBQ tasted the way Shack BBQ tasted because all the BBQ joints I frequented in central Arkansas copied it.

If you use Grape Soda you may want to reduce the amount of sugar as this is/was something akin to a Western N. Carolina sauce. I once saw mention of a SW N. Carolina sauce which may be what this is closest to.

 

[1MoreFord]

Shack Sauce

I pulled this one out of a local paper long before finding the full version online. Add a tablespoon or so of yellow mustard and you'll be good to go. Same with the garlic & onion powder.

12 oz cider vinegar
19-1/2 oz catsup
19-1/2 oz water or use grape soda like the original
2-1/4 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons sugar( maybe more to taste)
2-1/4 tablespoons black pepper
2-1/4 tablespoons chili powder - dark powder preferred

Additions
1 to 2 TBLS yellow mustard
2 TBLS garlic powder
2 TBLS onion powder

Put all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-35 minutes.
Needs no refrigeration required within reason.

The full, original version needs no refrigeration within reason either.

This small version, although somewhat different to the original, tastes extremely similar.

BTW, be sure to have the vent-a-hood running on high when cooking down the sauce because the vinegar fumes will get to you.

 

[pushok2018]

Thank you for sharing this recipe! Right on time - I was going to make some BBQ souse this week...

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Not found grapette in a couple years. Use sunkist, fanta with great results.

 

[1MoreFord]

Here's part of the Grapette story. Doesn't mention why it's no longer in Wally World or where you might find some. I remember drinking it and Orangette back in the 60's. They were also more widely distributed than I thought. Good stuff at the time. Much better than NuGrape as far as I was concerned.

Grapette International, Inc.

Deep in the soul of every veteran soft drink connoisseur may be a little six-ounce bottle of Grapette soda. We pride ourselves on forging long-lasting relationships with each of our customers.

www.grapette.com

 

[SmokinAl]

Thanks for posting the recipe Rick!
I bookmarked it!
Al

 

[zwiller]

THANKS. Bookmarked also. I can already tell it's a winner by the ingredients. I am not really a sauce guy but this is got me jonesing.

 

[MJB05615]

Thanks Rick, I too have this bookmarked. Definitely gonna try it.