“Grilling, broiling, barbecuing - whatever you want to call it - is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.”  James Beard

How aware are you of what is in your barbeque sauce?

Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. (Prov 24:13; NIV)

Building on our “Odds and Ends” theme for this month, today’s recipe is considered by many to be one of the all-time “comfort foods.”  Barbeque sauces are almost a form of “religion” in some parts of the country.  Some like them sweet, thick, and deep, dark brown.  Others swear that the sauce must be thin, hot, and red. 

Wikipedia says, “Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated BBQ sauce) is a liquid flavoring sauce or condiment ranging from watery to quite thick consistency. As the name implies, it was created as an accompaniment to barbecued foods. While it can be applied to any food, it usually tops meat after cooking or during barbecuing, grilling, or baking. Traditionally it has been a favored sauce for pork or beef ribs and chicken.”

Depending on what part of the country you hail from, your BBQ sauce could be a thin vinegar and tomato based sauce, spiced with pepper and slightly sweetened by molasses or a tomato-based sauce with hot chilies, cumin, and less sweet.  As I was growing up and learning to cook, we made barbeque sauce using ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, and minimal spices.  Having lived in various parts of the eastern United States as an adult, I’ve learned that there is more to BBQ sauce than just using ketchup as a base.

Most commercially made BBQ sauces contain high fructose corn syrup, various preservatives and MSG, none of which your body likes or appreciates.  Making homemade barbeque sauce is very simple.  It can be made in large quantities and frozen for later use, which is what I do.  I pour the sauce on chicken breasts and bake them in the oven.  I also brown ground beef, buffalo, or turkey with onions and then pour the sauce over top and allow this to simmer for about twenty minutes for Sloppy Joes.

If you’re not able to make your own BBQ sauce, then one brand that I’ve found acceptable is Annie’s.  It uses many organic ingredients and it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup or MSG.  Annie’s also makes an organic Worcestershire sauce also without MSG and caramel coloring which is found in commercial brands.

Prayer Power
Father, may we seek You for the decisions and choices we need to make each day.

Link of the Day
Barbeque Sauce

Blessings on you as you experiment with making some homemade barbeque sauce.