Serious Eats
'Bon Appétit's' Barbecue Sauce Champions
It's summertime and serious barbecue is having a moment in the sun. It makes sense that July's Bon Appétit is devoted to barbecue.
Good 'cue requires zesty sauce to smother the meat and to lick off your fingers. But consensus ends there. Some like their sauce watery, others prefer it thick. There are tomato-base believers, and those who adhere faithfully to the vinegar-based doctrine.
Bon Appétit names five barbecue sauce champions, all made by seasoned barbecue competitors.
Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce
Big Bob, Alabama barbecue legend, makes his sauce sweet and chunky. $4.75, from bigbobgibson.com
Peg Leg Porker Memphis Wet Sauce
Thick, herbal, and earthy from Tennessee BBQ powerhouse Carey Bringly. $7.98, from lobels.com
Britt's Barbecue Red Sauce
Another Alabama pitmaster James Britt is quite a BBQ champ. This one sounds subtle, "roasty apple flavors with a pleasant hint of spice." $5, from brittsbarbecue.com
Wee Willy's World Champion Original Barbecue Sauce
The Wee Willy guys put Minnesota on the barbecue map with a smoky-sweet sauce. $4.99, from weewillys.com
Memphis Championship Barbecue Original Sauce
If sweet doesn't do it for you, you might be pleased with Mike "The Legend" Mills' tangy creation. $3.99, from memphis-bbq.com
Have you tried these sauces? Are they winners? What will you be saucing with when you start smoking and grilling?
