Thickening my favorite vinegar mop/dip recipe?

[Tallbald]

Here's my long liked recipe. I use for dipping and injecting, and mopping some too. Almost water thin. But I want it to be a little thicker so it stays on the meat better when at the table. I don't want to change the flavor except maybe to make it a little hotter. Is there an ingredient I can add to thicken this recipe you think? Thanks all. Don.

2 plus 6 oz cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons paprika
5 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoon hot sauce
dash of chili powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Simmer to blend ingredients, bottle in a glass bottle to store in the fridge when it cools. Shake before dousing the meat.

 

[gkas]

You might try Xanthan Gum. It's in powder form. I use it for thickening dressings, thickening smoothies, and a few other things. It would probably work well on a vinegar sauce. Not only does it thicken, it keeps liquids from separating. That's why I add a touch to Italian dressing.

 

[johnmeyer]

Two possibilities:

1. Reduce it by cooking for longer. That will concentrate it, and may also thicken it.

2. Cornstarch. Your recipe is pretty similar to a "hot and sour" Chinese sauce (cider vinegar, ketchup & sugar is a pretty typical base). You could try dissolving 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch in that 1/4 cup water and then bring everything to a simmer. It should thicken up quite a bit.

Cornstarch shouldn't alter the flavor. By contrast, I think flour would not only change the taste, but I'm not sure how it would work during the cook.

 

[Tallbald]

Thank you both. I believe I will try the cornstarch, which I am familiar with. Don

 

[browneyesvictim]

I would start by cutting out the water completely. Secondly, instead of catsup, use tomato paste, but you may want to increase the sugar and a pinch or two more of salt. See where that gets you.

 

[dls1]

I agree with gkas on using Xanthan Gum. Once I started using it 6-7 years ago, every other supposedly good thickener went to the trash. It's fool proof and simple to use. You can use it with both hot and cold liquids, and a little bit goes a very long way. It's a commercial grade thickener and used in many products. For example, a few years ago, Lea & Perrins came out with a "Bold" steak sauce. All they did was add a couple minor ingredients and Xanthan Gum to their traditional Worcestershire sauce.

 

[Tallbald]

Say. Thank you all again! Don