The Rural Mom Guide to Southern Barbecue Sauce

If you’ve been hanging around Rural Mom for any length of time, I’m certain you caught on that barbecue is one of our favorite recipe subjects.  I’ve even managed to conjure up a darn good BBQ sauce in my Rural Mom’s Wickedly-Good Down-Home Barbecue Pork Spareribs recipe (be sure to give it a try!)

In the south, we certainly celebrate our sauce.  You’ll find quite a variety of flavors and styles. From sweet and savory to hot and spicy, the choices are endless. While it’s easy to grab a bottle of prepared sauce off the grocery store shelf, there’s nothing quite like creating your own from scratch.

But where to begin?  Most popular barbeque sauces originate in the southern states, from Texas to Florida. As unique as the people, each state has its own preferred style. From bourbon-inspired rubs and thick sauces in Kentucky to thin vinegar-based sauces hailed in North Carolina, there’s a style and flavor to suit everyone.

If you’re not familiar with the differences, here’s the Rural Mom Guide to Southern Barbecue Sauce to help you decide what popular styles you’d like to try:

Kansas City Style: Kansas City folks like their tomato-based barbecue sauce to be thick and sweet with just a hint of heat. They usually add molasses to the sauce to sweeten the pot.

Memphis Style: In Memphis you’ll find mostly dry rub barbeque; however, not one to be left out, they also have a style of sauce. Similar to Kansas City, it starts with a tomato-base; however, Memphis sauce tends to be slightly thinner, sweeter and often uses liquid smoke.

St. Louis Style: While similar in style to the two mentioned above, St. Louis barbeque has more tang than either Memphis or Kansas City. Just smelling the smoky rich flavor with a hint of tang will instantly set your mouth to watering.

Texas Style: In Texas, everything is bigger so as to be expected, their barbecue sauce is bold and spicy. Eating Texas style BBQ, you’ll enjoy a tomato-based sauce containing Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and chili for extra punch.

Carolina Style: Now the Carolinas are a unique group of people as they have several styles to choose from. Even so, each state has their favorite.

North Carolina tends to favor the vinegar-based barbecue sauce containing red pepper or cayenne pepper. South Carolina folks on the other hand, swear by their mustard-based sauce. Either way, the combination of the sweet and tangy flavors is an excellent choice for chicken and pork.

Florida Style: If you’re a citrus lover, this style of barbecue sauce may be for you. Naturally, with Florida being a citrus state, the good folks there include lemon or lime in their sauces. These are usually tomato-based sauces with an obvious sour bite.

Alabama Style: Alabama likes to boast of their unique white barbecue sauce made from mayonnaise. While, it may sound like an odd ingredient for barbecue, it makes a moist, delicious meat. Don’t knock it until you try it!

Kentucky Style: Kentucky folks include good ol’ Kentucky bourbon in their barbecue sauce. Taking ingredients from surrounding states, they add a uniqueness all their own with the bourbon. If you haven’t experienced this mouthwatering deliciousness, you’re missing out.

Louisiana Style: What’s the first thing you think of when you think Louisiana? Hot! Not one to disappoint, Louisiana’s thick tomato-based sauce with creole mustard and Cajun spices give their barbecue sauce a tantalizing kick. If you like Cajun flavors, this is the style for you.

That’s it in a nutshell, the difference between the most popular types of barbecue sauces. The only thing left for you to do is to whip up a batch of each kind and take them for a taste drive.

You’ll find recipes for all these sauce style on the i-net or check out your local library for cookbooks.  In a pinch, most of these styles are available in pre-made sauce at the grocer… and now you know which ones to choose to suit your taste buds!