Tomatoe to Vinegar based sauce question

[bigal]

I've got a good recipe for a tomatoe based bbq sauce and we like vinegar based. It uses ketchup as the base. Anybody have any suggestions on this? Drop the ketchup and add cider vinegar to taste?

Thanks for the help.

Also look'n for a good cajun rub that is easy to make, I always buy mine and want to make my own..........w/less salt.

 

[richtee]

I make a tomato/vinegar base...kind of a hybrid. When I make it up typically I make maybe 2 quarts, and it'll have about 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Kinda a nice change. I NEVER use ketchup for anything. Waste of a good tomato, IMHO. Well, MAYBE a 50/50 mix with mustard for fries.

 

[keywesmoke]

I never use tomatoes in Carolina sauce (fruit of the Devil, my friend) but
to each his own. I looked around and found a guy in Arkansas who owns restaurants with this recipe.

I never use ketchup, I use chili sauce. It's thicker and stronger than ketchup.

Wet Stuff
Mix in a large bowl:

3 - 24 ounce bottle of ketchup (catsup)
Use the plastic ones, we will refill after making sauce.

Fill with hot water, swoosh around and dump contents into bowl.
Folks have asked: HOW MUCH WATER? Fill all three bottles, and dump all into 'Wet Stuff'
(For original recipe use Grapette from Wal Mart- see 'additional notes').

Pour in plain ole cheap vinegar. "THE" recipe calls for just less than a quart, do not sweat this. use anywhere from a pint to a quart, strangely, this amount has scant effect on final product.

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 (is the ORIGINAL amount, why not TRY that, and adjust to your very own taste after 'brewing' mess up...likewise with Tabasco. See below)
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
...btw, easier to put the mustard in last, and just swirl around till it looks like chocolaty brown tar.
Simmer
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.
Finish
That is it.
Remove from heat, pour back into bottles you saved, unfortunately, you will have an excess of sauce. Improvise, all life has dry rot.

 

[dionysus]

Heres one I like to use ....

Cajun Spice Mix

Before you start mixing you need to make a decision: Are you going to use teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, as your measure? It doesn't matter what you choose, just make sure you use the same one from start to finish.

• 2 1/2 paprika
• 2 salt
• 2 garlic powder, granules or minced
• 1 black pepper
• 1 onion powder or granules
• 1 cayenne red pepper
• 1 1/4 dried leaf oregano
• 1 1/4 dried leaf thyme
• 1/2 crushed red pepper, optional

This is a good start, go by the recipe the first time, then make adjustments to suit your taste.

 

[bigal]

Thanks for the help, I do appreciate it. I'll be putting this advise to good use.

I hope I can return the favor sometime.

Thank You.

 

[richtee]

Rep points work grin