subject: How To Pick The Right Barbecue Sauce For Your Tastes [print this page] Have you ever been to the grocery store and wanted to pick out just the right barbecue sauce for that cookout you were planning? It can be a daunting task sometimes when you start looking at all the various brands, flavors, types or sauces, and variety of needs for different meats. There are some simple rules of thumb to follow in helping you guide your way through this minefield of the grilling world. In basic terms, know your meat, know what you or your guests like, and know your limitations by either your skill level or your time constraints. These three factors will help lead you into a great cookout experience.
The first thing to know before you choose a barbecue sauce is to plan your menu and know what type of meat you will be grilling. Beef, pork, chicken, and even fish can all be a great dish served off of the grill, but if you use the wrong sauce for a certain cut of meat, you can ruin your meal. Beef usually requires a heavy sauce, often hickory smoked or molasses based, and can often have an added element such as pepper or onion. You normally want to avoid using hickory smoke sauces on traditionally lighter foods such as poultry or fish. With these cuts of meat you may try a lighter citrus based sauce such as lime or even Hawaiian or Teriyaki sauces that are sweeter.
If you are having a guest list, which most cookouts do, get an idea of what types of meats will please everyone. Usually having only one menu item will not suffice, so try one beef cut and one poultry item, or pork ribs and smoked salmon. Knowing what your guests like will help you pick out the right barbecue sauce for your event.
Your own limitations may play a big part in how you select your barbecue sauce. If you know you will have hours or even a day before to prepare, a nice marinade used on the meat the night before will always enhance your grilling experience. If you are the last minute preparation person, get a good Kansas City style sauce with a rich tomato base that you won't use until the last ten minutes of grilling. This is the most common way people grill anyway, and all you need to do is put your meat on the grill and sauce it up toward the end of cooking. Other easy methods of last minute preparation are some of the dry rubs that you simply rub into the meat before cooking. You will not need to season the meat again.
Ultimately, if you pay attention to what you are cooking, who your guests are, and how skilled you are or how much time you will have to prepare, your selection of barbecue sauce will be easy and your cookout a success. Now all you have to do is prepare the side dishes, clean the house, pray for good weather, and handle the clean up afterwards.
