What's your favorite bottled BBQ sauce?

[RebelSS]

I started serious BBQ'ing in 1979, when I really got into making sauces and rubs. I grew up cooking, working for my uncle who owned restaurants, and took cooking classes. At the end of my "narrative", I'll share my original rub and BBQ sauce with everyone...I've only shared it one other time, but who better to share it with?

After making my sauce for years, in the early 80's out comes a bottled sauce that tastes almost better than mine..Bullseye. After a while it became easier to just "buy" the stuff, although I felt like I was "cheating". Two years ago, my young pup neighbor, who've I've taken under my wing to teach the art of BBQ'ing and smoking, tells me the best sauce he's ever had, he picked up at Menard's....couldn't remember the name of it. I had to stifle a laugh and chalk it up to young inexperience. He brought me over some chicken with it on.....!!!! Holy Cow, I had to agree!!!

Now my favorite bottled sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's. I still have to give Bullseye Hickory a close second.....what's your favorite?

Rebels Q-sauce (1979 recipe copied from original)

16 oz canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup Heinz ketchup

1/2 cup blackstrap molasses

1 tsp Hickory Smoke

1/2 cup dark Karo syrup

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tbsp. Onion powder

1 Tbsp Worcesershire Sauce

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

2 tsp seasoned salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Red Chili Powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Cook all ingredients (except sugar, molasses & syrup) on med low heat for 15-20 minutes, simmering. Add sugar, molasses, and syrup. Keep on low for 10 minutes, cool, and pour into a GLASS jar. Keep sealed in 'fridge.

Rebel's Rib Rub

3 Tbsp seasoned salt

2 Tbsp. Chili Powder

2 Tbsp. Paprika

2 Tbsp. Onion Powder

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Course Black Pepper

2 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar

3/4 Tbsp Smoked Chipotle Pepper

1/4 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbsp. Ground Cilantro

1/2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

Grind all ingredients well; I use a pestle and glass bowl. Keep in airtight container. Great on all meats...and fish, too!

[smnduck]

Sweet Baby Rays.

[reinhard1]

i think you have some good stuff there. here is something simple and good. take one bottle of ketchup and one bottle of western salad dressing of equal amount. mix together and bring to a simmer in a pot on low heat. if you want to thin it out like I do add some apple cider to it till you find the texture to your liking. i call it a mop sauce. put your favorite rub on the ribs and during the last half hour on the grill mop this stuff on while turning the ribs once in awhile. i haven't bought bbq sauce for some time. good luck.

[RebelSS]

I find during the summer months, I can't keep my Rib Rub bottle full...I use it on almost everything. I use most of it on pork steaks, which I have cut 1- 1 1/2" thick (learned to love these when I worked in a butcher shop for 2 years after High School)then rub with oil, put the rib rub on thick, and wrap in plastic wrap overnight in the 'fridge before I slow smoke them over apple wood chips. I like them better than ribs. I still experiment with the mops and glazes...I also like mixing apricot or peach jam, smoked chipotle pepper, and orange juice for a pork glaze. Cinnamon apple sauce with smoked pepper is good, too. OOPS...got off the BBQ sauce track!! Still want to know what the favorite is out there....just curious.

[reinhard1]

i'm with you on the pork steaks. cut plenty of pork butt's in two inch slices and the split them once again for "country ribs" some boneless of course. i think what your doing is great with your combinations. but let's hear from others out there on their favorite bbq sauce. good luck.

[sweept]

Sweet Baby Ray's original and Willingham's Whamo rub.

[KEN W]

Sweet Baby Ray's original all the way.I've tried some of their variations and still go back to original.They also make a grilling sauce that is good.

[fishinchicks]

Curley's BBQ sauce from Hutchinson, Kansas is number one at our house. Only problem is we can't find it around here. Cookies is our second favorite.

[Redlantern]

Famous Dave's Devils Spit on spare ribs and pulled pork. Just used some this evening. My daughter likes his Texas Pit sauce. He has a Sassy Chipotle sauce that's not spicey but has a good smokey taste. Good on chicken.

I really like to use a good rub. I might try Rebels next time on some ribs. A good enough rub and who needs sauce?

[LittleHuck]

Cookies is always the bottle that gets grabbed first. Haven't had many I didn't enjoy though.

[Coach Dog]

Curley's BBQ sauce from Hutchinson, Kansas is number one at our house. Only problem is we can't find it around here. Cookies is our second favorite.

Curley's is a mainstay at our home as well. It is our favorite for the milder, hickory sauce. For a hotter, spicier sauce I like Famous Dave's Texas Pit, some of the Stubbs' sauces, and I have a relative that bottles his own that is my favorite.

[fishinchicks]

Hey Coach - where do you find your Curley's? We have to order it on-line down here in the black hole of shopping.

[Coach Dog]

We have relatives in Wichita and Hutchinson and usually get ahold of a few bottles 2-3 times a year in our visits or when they come up here.

[thirdeye]

Personally, I'm more of a dry rub only guy, I do mop or spray a lot of my Q, but any sauce I might use is on the side and served at the table. But, it's a fact that most folks like sauce, and often they like a finishing sauce on ribs or chicken during the last 15 minutes of the cook. So I have no problem in cooking what folks like.

I sometimes use Masterpiece original, and Sweet Baby Rays as a base, but they are too thick for me, so I thin them with apple juice. I add a little Wooster, and either some sweet rub or a spicy rub depending on what I want.

My all time favorite sauce comes from Rudy's and I make at least one order each year. This is a thinner sauce, and has a peppery flavor with a nice back flavor. Like many Texas sauces it is slightly brown verses the red color you see in other sauces.

[Leaky]

Another vote here for Sweet Baby Rays.

[reinhard1]

they have curley's in cub foods here in andover and i'm sure in others. i saw some today while shopping and i thought about this post. they also have the Kansas masterpiece if that's the right one someone was looking for. they had the culeys for $1.99 on add and $2.89 for the kansas. good luck.

[reinhard1]

love the whole post third eye. good luck.

[deerminator]

Stubb's Original is my favorite store bought sauce. It's also the only marinade brand I really buy any more. The latter has a nice kick without being too spicy or covering up the taste of whatever meat you're grilling.

[McGurk]

Next time you or someone you know is going to Siren, WI, make a point to get a couple of jars of BigButz BBQ sauce from "YahButz in the Woods." Ask around; you'll find it. A pint of Hot and a pint of Cranberry will open you eyes to what sauce can be if you don't move much past Famous Dave's for your selection. Smoke up a pork butt with some good rub, and get/make some good 'slaw and cheap white buns. I also serve sauce only on the table. I've tried doing a sauce at the end with ribs and haven't really been happy with it. I haven't done much with mop sauces but am looking forward to trying this summer.

[Steve Foss]

This whole thread is making me ravenous. I LOVE BBQ! We got off the water too late today to make it to the grocery stores (both stores in Ely close at 4 on Sundays between Labor Day and Memorial Day), so we ate mac and cheese. If I'd have known, I'd have kept a fish so we could have fresh laker.

I used to live only a spit and a holler south of Siren, and have heard of that sauce. Reckon next time I'm tooling along 35 I'll stop and inquire.

[MN Mike]

Famous Dave's Devils Spit on spare ribs and pulled pork.

That's my favorite too although I can't think of a BBQ sauce I don't like but I just find the Devils Spit to my liking these days.

Mike

[reinhard1]

thanks, i will tell my son-inlaw, for he runs through there on the way to his parents cabin. good luck.

[Leaky]

Well, I'm getting ready to throw some pork steaks/chops on the grill, but found I'm out of SBRs (which I usually buy a bunch of when they are 10 for 10 bucks). But I do have Western Dressing and Ketchup. Looks like I gotta give RH's mop sauce a try.

[reinhard1]

just use equal amounts and if have to thin it as i do use apple juice or cider. hey, guess what i was shopping at cubs today and they had sweet baby rays for a buck a piece. looks like all week. today its sweet baby reinhards . let me know how you like it. good luck.

[bbqhead]

Blues Hog regular, A lot of top bbq teams use it.

Good stuff!

randy