Vinegar based sauces - what is your favorite recipe?

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JC in GB

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Sep 28, 2018
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Green Bay, WI
I am interested in trying some Carolina style BBQ and have very little knowledge on what a good Carolina vinegar sauce should be.

Would anyone be interested in sharing your favorite vinegar based sauce recipe?

Can this be used on beef and ribs or is the Carolina style sauce normally used just for pork butt?
 
I love Carolina style BBQ sauces and have made several variations of them. The SC is the mustard base style sauce. The NC is more of vinegar based. Both are great just depends on what you are going for. Check out Chef Jimmy J's sauces if you haven't yet. The Yellow Q juice is more SC style and the Red Q juice is more NC style. Ill also vouch for the Honey Dijon its amazing. Lots of people probably do use them on beef but I personally mainly use for pulled pork and ribs.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/sauces.264311/#post-1719620
 
I love Carolina style BBQ sauces and have made several variations of them. The SC is the mustard base style sauce. The NC is more of vinegar based. Both are great just depends on what you are going for. Check out Chef Jimmy J's sauces if you haven't yet. The Yellow Q juice is more SC style and the Red Q juice is more NC style. Ill also vouch for the Honey Dijon its amazing. Lots of people probably do use them on beef but I personally mainly use for pulled pork and ribs.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/sauces.264311/#post-1719620

Thanks for your reply. Just goes to show my ignorance. I already have the yellow and Red Q juice recipes. I didn't recognize them as Carolina style. I guess that is why I am asking.

I wouldn't know Carolina Q from Seattle Q. I want to expand my horizons and cook each and every Q style I can.
 
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Did these a few months ago and lasted a couple rounds of PP and some ribs. About time to make another batch for the next big smoke in a couple weeks.
 
Very nice. Where do you get those spiffy squirt bottles with caps?
 
Find you a base and play around with it. I've done something similar to JJ's SC style but added beer and half a stick of butter and some other things like cayenne and paprika. That's the beauty of it you can make it to your liking.

Yep. Occasionally a sauce is just _on_ like ChefJJs tangy. Bases get you in the ballpark. Still trying to perfect my mustard "carolina gold" sauce. I am pretty dang close now using chili powder (lots) and no cayenne or paprika.
 
this is my families' favorite sauce..

Candy Apple Red...

1/4 stick margarine or butter (butter is better!)
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup AC vinegar
3/4 cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic
3 Tbsp paprika (mild)

mix ingredients in a small pot.
bring to low boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
let sit in fridge after cooling for a couple of hours.

can substitute brown sugar for raw sugar but will burn much easier and you will need to bump it up to whole cup.
can spice it up with cayenne pepper and hot paprika.
may add 1/8 - 1/4 cup apple juice if you like it thinner and more apple flavor

looks like this on ribs...

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)
 
Thanks for that recipe. I am surely going to give it a try. Looks awesome.
 
This is my go-to.


1 cup yellow mustard

About 3/4 to 1 cup of vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of paprika

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of pepper
 
Thanks for the Vote of Confidence Gentlemen. I just added my Honey Dijon and POP (COLA) Sauce to thE thread in the link above. My kids like the Pop Sauce made with Dr. Pepper. It is light, with a balanced sweet and sour flavor. Enhances the Pork with out over powering it...JJ
 
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This is my go-to.


1 cup yellow mustard

About 3/4 to 1 cup of vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of paprika

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of pepper

I’m pretty sure this is about what Sweatman’s served when we used to go out there years ago.

Simple, and does nothing to cover up the pig’s awesome flavor.

I love Carolina sauce, and have come up with an iteration that has enough red stuff in it that the people around here will recognize it as “barbecue sauce”, even though it has a purely Carolina flavor profile. Everyone loves it, so those lowcountry guys are on to something g for sure...
 
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Every time I see a good recipe on here I take screen shots of them. I’ve made some sauces before, forgot to write down all the ingredients and portions I threw in, and really loved the outcome with no real way of recreating it. But, Ive learned from my mistakes. Thank you guys for posting all these great recipes!
 
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this is my families' favorite sauce..

Candy Apple Red...

1/4 stick margarine or butter (butter is better!)
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup AC vinegar
3/4 cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic
3 Tbsp paprika (mild)

mix ingredients in a small pot.
bring to low boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
let sit in fridge after cooling for a couple of hours.

can substitute brown sugar for raw sugar but will burn much easier and you will need to bump it up to whole cup.
can spice it up with cayenne pepper and hot paprika.
may add 1/8 - 1/4 cup apple juice if you like it thinner and more apple flavor

looks like this on ribs...

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

Phatbac, I just made a batch of this yesterday. The recipe sounded good and looked good in the picture. The taste and texture remind me a lot of blues hog original sauce. I can wait to try it on some ribs or maybe some chicken!
 
Phatbac, I just made a batch of this yesterday. The recipe sounded good and looked good in the picture. The taste and texture remind me a lot of blues hog original sauce. I can wait to try it on some ribs or maybe some chicken!
I've made this a few times, really like it. Like a dummy I had it in my head as candy apple flavor, not the color, Du-oh! Still tastes good.
 
Thank yall for trying the sauce yes the red is more about the color and if you use the sugar n the raw is very burn resistant. im glad you enjoy the sauce!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (AaroN)
 
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