Best Barbecue Sauce: Off The Shelf

[Superfan97]

I don't care much about that hole-in-the-wall 30 miles outside of Baton Rouge that you've been to and you swear is the greatest stuff ever concocted. Tell me about what you would buy if you had to get something from Publix, off the shelf (i.e. you can't say "get tomatoes and brown sugar and cook them this way), and from one bottle only (no mixing some of this one and some of that one-- just one bottle.

What you getting?

 

[cmanole]

 

[b4fsu]

Loose Lips Larry's Spicy BBQ sauce was great but I can't seem to find it at Publix anymore.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Semiologist]

Originally posted by cmanole:

This.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Prefer to make my own, but when in a pinch these are available at Publix.

 

[TexSkills]

Stubbs

 

[travnole]

Sweet = sweet baby rays

A little spicy = Stubbs
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[cfbfan23]

Originally posted by TexSkills:
Stubbs

Ditto.

I'll add a bunch of ingredients to it, but's it's always the base for "my" bbq sauce.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Originally posted by cmanole:

For good, off the shelf barbeque sauce, I agree with this.

The variants they have that I've tried are also good. I like this one:

and this one is good too:

 

[DanC78]

Publix now has The Shed BBQ Sauce. Not sure how long they have had, but I noticed it for the first time just a few weeks ago.

I highly recommend.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[TexasGooner]

 

[SeaPA]

Probably Chicken n Ribs sauce; I have no idea how widely distributed it is, but one of the local stores carries it & it is very good.

Of the bigger, well-known products that are available in most any store - Stubbs, Sweet Baby Rays, or Cattlemens.

 

[rap4117]

Stubbs original.

 

[NoleInNC]

Blues Hog.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[SeaPA]

Lawson Sauces are also good, but again I'm not sure if they are widely carried. They're based in Plant City, and the Sweetbay chain carried their products. I bought a bunch of bottles when Sweetbay closed & was clearing out the local store.

I believe they do sell it on their website (lawsonsauces.com).

They are somewhat similar in flavor/texture to Stubbs.

 

[DFSNOLE]

For pulled pork....

For ribs....

 

[mcgrawfsu]

I used to get Tom's BBQ sauce at Publix. Haven't seen it there in a while though.

 

[RRtrackdawgson]

I'm not sure if Publix carries it, but it is in a lot of groceries in the south. It's made in Savannah, and I've been using it for 20 years. Very good IMO...

 

[TexSkills]

Originally posted by RRtrackdawgson:
I'm not sure if Publix carries it, but it is in a lot of groceries in the south. It's made in Savannah, and I've been using it for 20 years. Very good IMO...

I've seen that sauce in Winn-Dixie before. They also make a Carolina-style mustard sauce that is pretty good.

 

[helmetnuts]

A big bottle of Rays mixed with a small bottle of tiger sauce...

 

[NolaNole9]

Originally posted by cmanole:

This.
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[graytonole]

Huge fan of Trader Joes Carolina style, if you don't know now you know.
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[noleit]

Originally posted by rap4117:
Stubbs original.

This for everything except ribs.

For ribs I prefer Fresh Markets own blue label BBQ sauce.

 

[EconSean]

Originally posted by NDallasRuss:

Originally posted by cmanole:

For good, off the shelf barbeque sauce, I agree with this.

The variants they have that I've tried are also good. I like this one:

and this one is good too:

The second one here is our go-to.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[RTM58]

Originally posted by NDallasRuss:

Originally posted by cmanole:

For good, off the shelf barbeque sauce, I agree with this.

The variants they have that I've tried are also good. I like this one:

and this one is good too:

This plus a teaspoon of sriracha or chili garlic sauce for kick

Especially good on chicken thighs.

This post was edited on 2/16 10:22 PM by RTM58

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

You guys seem to love some high fructose corn syrup.
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[SeaPA]

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
You guys seem to love some high fructose corn syrup.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

Damn straight, gotta eat healthy. Corn's a vegetable, and they're good for you.

 

[TallyNole93]

Maybe I am an exception. I prefer BBQ without sauce and prefer a rub. Not as messy and to me sauce hides the flavor of the meat.

 

[dero316]

Sweet Baby Rays, cheap and BOGO at Publix at monthly. I use SBR as a base and add white vinegar, cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic.

 

[seminoledq]

I go with Devil's Spit from Famous Dave's in our grocery store. Not a huge selection but I do prefer it over Stubbs. Don't think I have seen the Ray's brand available.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
You guys seem to love some high fructose corn syrup.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

My thoughts exactly. Considering how easy it is to make much better sauce on your own I don't know why so many people refuse to make their own salad dressings, sauces and marinades. The only sauce I've bought in years are prepared ketchup (only simply Heinz for me), some prepared mustards, Worcestershire, a couple of types of fish sauces, a couple of types of soy sauces, HP sauce, sriracha, crystal hot sauce, Dukes Mayo, mirin and green Tabasco sauce. Everything else I just make on my own sometimes using some of the above as bases.

All of my BBQ sauces use only Carmelized sweet onions, ketchup, dark brown sugar, fresh juiced apples, cane syrup from GA, maple syrup from Ontario, hickory syrup from Virginia, or birch syrup from Indiana depending upon what style I'm making. The two I make the most often is a Lesser Carolina mustard sauce using darkly carmelized sweet onions and a little brown sugar and my variation of the Western Carolina sauce only has a little simply Heinz ketchup and Virginia hickory syrup to tone down the tang from the vinegar.

 

[seminoledq]

Originally posted by FSUTribe76:

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
You guys seem to love some high fructose corn syrup.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

My thoughts exactly. Considering how easy it is to make much better sauce on your own I don't know why so many people refuse to make their own salad dressings, sauces and marinades. The only sauce I've bought in years are prepared ketchup (only simply Heinz for me), some prepared mustards, Worcestershire, a couple of types of fish sauces, a couple of types of soy sauces, HP sauce, sriracha, crystal hot sauce, Dukes Mayo, mirin and green Tabasco sauce. Everything else I just make on my own sometimes using some of the above as bases.

All of my BBQ sauces use only Carmelized sweet onions, ketchup, dark brown sugar, fresh juiced apples, cane syrup from GA, maple syrup from Ontario, hickory syrup from Virginia, or birch syrup from Indiana depending upon what style I'm making. The two I make the most often is a Lesser Carolina mustard sauce using darkly carmelized sweet onions and a little brown sugar and my variation of the Western Carolina sauce only has a little simply Heinz ketchup and Virginia hickory syrup to tone down the tang from the vinegar.

This is the very reason the OP took the time to clearly lay out what types of answers he was looking for. Keep this in the copy/paste file for when someone asks "how do you make BBQ sauce".

P.S. I can't believe you don't make your own fish sauce or Worcestershire. And we thought you were a foodie.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by seminoledq:

Originally posted by FSUTribe76:

This is the very reason the OP took the time to clearly lay out what types of answers he was looking for. Keep this in the copy/paste file for when someone asks "how do you make BBQ sauce".

P.S. I can't believe you don't make your own fish sauce or Worcestershire. And we thought you were a foodie.

I know you are kidding but making fish sauce, worcestershire and Crystal/tabasco take years of fermentation and aging. Making a great bbq sauce takes a couple of minutes. A good eastern carolina bbq "sauce" takes 10 seconds. A good western Carolina bbq sauce probably takes me about 5 minutes to warm up and mix the ingredients. A good lesser Carolina mustard sauce takes maybe ten minutes and the use of an immersion blender as you need to chop then carmelize and blend the sweet onion. All of those commercial bottles are not only universally ridiculously sweet but also chock full of cancer causing high fructose corn syrup and tons of other weird chemicals.

 

[Navchop]

Originally posted by TallyNole93:
Maybe I am an exception. I prefer BBQ without sauce and prefer a rub. Not as messy and to me sauce hides the flavor of the meat.

This

I don't use sauce except to flavor baked beans.

 

[SeaPA]

Per the Heinz website, the ingredients in their ketchup:

Tomato Concentrate from Red Ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by Navchop:

Originally posted by TallyNole93:
Maybe I am an exception. I prefer BBQ without sauce and prefer a rub. Not as messy and to me sauce hides the flavor of the meat.

This

I don't use sauce except to flavor baked beans.

On ribs I usually go sauceless and use a dry rub cloned from Rendezvous in Memphis UNLESS I'm in the mood for cheap downhome and dirty coca-cola glazed ribs (maybe once every five times). On pork shoulder though I usually make the aforementioned Eastern Carolina or Lesser Carolina mustard sauce/"dips".

 

[helmetnuts]

Speaking of beans, found a recipe earlier this year that is off the chain:

55 oz can Bushes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketsup
2 tablespoons ground mustard
saute one cup chopped onion, one cup green bell pepper, half a regular pack of bacon and 4 tablespoons of jalapeno; mix in with everything else

on the smoker for 2 hours - a little bit sweet, very smokey with just a little kick at the end

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by SeaPA:

Per the Heinz website, the ingredients in their ketchup:

Tomato Concentrate from Red Ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring.

That's why I use "Simply Heinz" not regular Heinz. There's probably still some weirdo chemicals masquerading as "natural flavors", but it uses only regular cane sugar.


http://www.heinzfoodservice.com/products-and-brands/ketchup/tabletop/78003773

Its ingredients allegedly are "tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder, spice, natural flavoring."

 

[FSUTribe76]

I will say that Hunts did the right thing by dropping corn syrup from all of its varieties while all but the Simply Heinz and Organic Heinz still have HFCS. But....I just don't care for Hunts, never have and never will. But I do go with Simply Heinz.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Originally posted by FSUTribe76:

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
You guys seem to love some high fructose corn syrup.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

My thoughts exactly. Considering how easy it is to make much better sauce on your own I don't know why so many people refuse to make their own salad dressings, sauces and marinades. The only sauce I've bought in years are prepared ketchup (only simply Heinz for me), some prepared mustards, Worcestershire, a couple of types of fish sauces, a couple of types of soy sauces, HP sauce, sriracha, crystal hot sauce, Dukes Mayo, mirin and green Tabasco sauce. Everything else I just make on my own sometimes using some of the above as bases.

All of my BBQ sauces use only Carmelized sweet onions, ketchup, dark brown sugar, fresh juiced apples, cane syrup from GA, maple syrup from Ontario, hickory syrup from Virginia, or birch syrup from Indiana depending upon what style I'm making. The two I make the most often is a Lesser Carolina mustard sauce using darkly carmelized sweet onions and a little brown sugar and my variation of the Western Carolina sauce only has a little simply Heinz ketchup and Virginia hickory syrup to tone down the tang from the vinegar.

Add two or three kids into the mix and see how "easy" it is to make your own salad dressings.