The right marinade can work wonders for any barbeque recipe. The same goes for rubs. With the evolution in the method of barbequing, the sauce has entered the scene and is shaking things up. Not just because drizzling some sauce is convenient but also for the unique flavor that it adds to the smoked or grilled food.
You can pick up a bottled sauce from any store and get the cooking done in the usual way. However, this article is for those who love to experiment with their taste buds. We will be discussing barbeque sauce preparation at home.
Preparing barbeque sauce
Most traditional barbeque sauces use tomato paste as the base flavor. Of course, there is room for experiments like mustard, vinegar, or honey. Once the base is decided, it’s time to add the spices to flavor it up. This blend of spices generally depends on the type of food that it will be used on. Paprika, cumin, chili powder rosemary, thyme, garlic, and basil can be good options here. To get even more creative you can also use a store-bought sauce as a base for some extra flavor.
To know if your sauce has been prepared perfectly, make sure it ticks off these factors:
Taste is not overpowering
All the spices and base ingredients must be used in moderation so that none of them overpowers the flavor of the other. For instance, if you are using vinegar as an ingredient, try to balance the acidic flavor with some honey rather than lemon juice.
Consistency is right
The consistency of the sauce must not be too thick to penetrate or too runny to slide off the surface of the meat. In other words, the homemade barbeque sauce should have a similar consistency as that of the store-bought one.
No Add-ons are required
The barbeque sauce should be self-sufficient to flavor up the food just as you desire. Once you marinate the meat in the barbeque sauce you should not need other means of flavoring it like salt curing or applying a rub. Your sauce will have all the flavors in the right proportion for the barbeque.
Basic ingredients
This might sound strange but is actually important. Always try to use basic ingredients to make the sauce. This way you do not have to rush to stores often to get unique ingredients whenever you are planning a barbeque session. Moreover, you will have a clear idea about the flavor and taste of the common ingredients in your kitchen so you can balance the taste and flavors well.
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