North Carolina-style BBQ Sauce

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North Carolina-style BBQ Sauce

In the American South, barbecue sauce is as controversial a subject as the barbecue itself, perhaps even more so with regional variations being fiercely defended as the best, the original and the only sauce worth having. My North Carolina-style BBQ sauce is inspired by the mustard-based sauces of North Carolina. This is very much a ‘season to taste’ sauce, it’s quite sharp and a little spicy, feel free to add more heat if you like, more sugar or tomato paste to sweeten it up a touch, or more mustard if that’s your preference. I like to use wholegrain mustard, but Dijon or American mustard work just as well. I blitz the sauce with a stick blender to thicken it up a little as I find it glazes the meat or seafood better that way, this isn’t traditional, so leave it loose and chunky if you prefer.

Makes about ¾ cup (180ml)

Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder (3g/⅒)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (20ml)
  • 1 small brown onion, very finely chopped
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch ground cayenne
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar (125ml)
  • ¼ cup water (60ml)
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste (12g/½oz)
  • 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard (5g/⅕oz)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (5g/⅕oz)
Method
  1. Mix mustard powder with 1 tablespoon (20ml) of cold water to form a paste and set aside.
  2. Place oil, onion and a good pinch of salt flakes in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes, until just starting to colour.
  3. Stir in garlic, chilli flakes, paprika, oregano and cayenne and cook for a further 30 seconds or so, until aromatic.
  4. Stir in vinegar, water, tomato paste, wholegrain mustard and sugar and bring to the boil.
  5. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the mustard mixture and remove from heat.
  7. Blitz with a stick blender and set aside to cool.
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North Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce

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