North Carolina and South Carolina are an odd pair. Yankees almost see the duo as the same State… “Carolina.” But there are differences… especially when it comes to barbecue sauce.
It’s somewhat regional but everyone has his or her own favorite. Up North East they like a close to pure vinegar version of an ultra thin sauce. I’ve even seen it clear (although usually using cider vinegar).
South Carolina has it’s hands in different styles… but their claim to fame (thanks to Maurice Bessinger and family) is a tangy sweet mustard based sauce.
In the Piedmont area… or out West it’s also vinegar. But there’s a good squirt of tomato or ketchup in the mix.
We’ll cover all of them here… but first
Here’s a Barbecue Tricks version of a Western Carolina Vinegar sauce. Tart, hot and a bit sweet but thin enough to mix quietly into a pile of pulled pork without getting in the way of the smoke in the meat.
Barbecue Tricks Western Vinegar
I like to pick up a full 16oz. bottle of good cider vinegar for this sauce. Get it in the glass bottle so you can funnel the finished sauce back in. Get a good sized kitchen funnel. You’ll have some vinegar left… so you may choose to double the amounts and make extra sauce to serve and have a full bottle to save for later.
Simmer the following in a small to medium pot for ten minutes. Let cool before serving:
1 Cup cider vinegar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (secret: McCormick’s Worcester’s flavored)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon Plum Sauce (option: substitute dark molasses)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
