SAUCES & MOPS

The difference between a sauce and a mop are primarily WHEN you put them on the meat you are cooking. Mops are a much thinner consistency and are usually made with a base of vinegar, beer or even espresso. The primary function of a mop is to keep the meat moist during cooking and it is used like a baste. A sauce is usually a vinegar, tomato and/or mustard based concoction that is applied to the meat as a finishing sauce during the last 1/2 hour to hour of cooking, or even at the table after the meat is cooked. Sauces vary from region to region and Southerners, where BBQ was invented, have been known to argue over their preference of sauce for generations.

Click here to go to a really cool
site about regional BBQ sauces!

Below are some of my favorite recipes for sauces and mops. Enjoy, and understand that these recipes are not absolute. Half the fun of BBQing is coming up with your own special variation of something that makes it uniquely yours.

MOPS

Basic Vinegar Baste
Espresso Mop
Beer Mop
South Carolina Mop

SAUCES

Vinegar Based Sauces
Mustard Based Sauces
Tomato Based Sauces

1 gallon water
1 quart cider vinegar
3/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Mix and keep hot the whole time you're using it.

1 cup espresso or strong black coffee
1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

Combine all ingredients and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use. Heat before using.

12 ounces beer (what you do with the OTHER part of the 12 pack is up to you!)
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry rub of our choosing
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

Stir everything together. Add more oil, up to another cup if the meat is lean and dry.

South Carolina Mop

1 quart cider vinegar
2 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let the mixture sit for at least an hour. Heat to almost boiling when ready to use and keep warm during use.

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