subject: Add Zest To Your Barbecue Sauce 2.0 [print this page] If you've never made a barbecue sauce from scratch before, you'll be surprised how tasty it is. Most sauces have a base of ketchup or tomato sauce. Many have onion and garlic. Vinegar is a key ingredient in many sauces; cider vinegar is particularly good. A sweet ingredient is incorporated into many sauces, such as brown sugar or honey. Citrus juice is often added; orange, lemon and lime are all popular. Then of course you have spice. Chili powder, or diced fresh chillies, are a staple of southwestern style sauces. Pepper is almost always an ingredient of a barbecue sauce or marinade as well. Worcestershire and/or soy sauce can give your homemade sauce an extra kick. Dried or fresh herbs are also frequently used in sauces: Oregano, rosemary, thyme and cilantro each work well.
With the basics of barbecue sauce and marinades you can create a variety of flavorful sauces. But the great thing about making your own sauces is that with a little imagination you can employ dozens of other ingredients to create your own unique sauce. Take vinegar for instance. Try the more intensely flavored balsamic vinegar and see how that enhances the taste of your sauce.
For a different kind of sweet ingredient, substitute maple syrup for the honey or brown sugar you might normally use. The maple flavor is particularly good grilled salmon. There is a longtime favorite dish in the western U.S. called a "cowboy steak". This steak has a secret ingredient in the spice blend used to create that wonderful crust when it is grilled: coffee. But strong coffee or espresso can be used in many different sauces, marinades and dry rubs.
You can try your favorite cola beverages to mix in with your barbecue sauce, and don't overlook fruits such as cherries, grapefruit, pineapple, or mango, peaches. Processed fruits, such as orange marmalade are great, too. Each one adds a distinctive flavor. And here's one last ingredient to try: peanut butter.
As you experiment with new flavors, you will discover that many of them work better with certain kinds of meat, fish or poultry than others. You also have to take into account how much spice your family prefers in their food. That's part of the fun, building that perfect sauce that you have put your own individual stamp on. It's also fun to plan a menu where you try two of your sauce creations, and see which one your family likes best. Be sure to write down the ingredients you use each time, so you can replicate the sauce when you have perfected it.
