Looking for a good, spicy sauce for ribs

Pete, of course sauce is a matter of personal taste. Can recommend a couple of commercial sauces that tend to meet your parameters:

The first is Hayward's. Available from Hayward's in Kansas City, Kansas. Call them. They ship all orders on Thursdays.

The second is Super Smokers Texas Hot. St. Louis Q chain..sold in the supermarkets here, maybe all over. If not, contact them direct.

Both sauces are tomato based, quite spicy with decent heat, and not a ton of sugar.

Regards, Mike

Pete,

You may also wish to try Arthur Bryant's sauce...has a nice bite of spice and vinegar.

You can purchase the Hayward's Mike mentioned, along with a bottle of Bryant's and Gate's BBQ sauce (also a good non-sweet sauce) for $14 from http://www.bbqgrocer.com/catkancitbbq.html

and to think, two of the biggest posters on this forum are recommending "commercial sauces..."

Where's the creativeness? the Originality?

Personally, I'll send him looking at many of the Q books out there and building one from scratch.

Just teasing guys...

Pete, what's your preference? Commercial or from scratch? Do you have any of the Q books we've talked about before. I can point you to a few sauces, if you have them, if not lets us know and we'll help 'ya.

Smokin', did you forget that my middle name is Lazy?

Art is for artists.
I'm an eater.
Have the gut to proove it.
And, I need to eat a lot to keep my weight up.

Regards, Mike

Pete: Try a simple coffee and molasses marinade. Throw in some red wine vinegar and garlic. Ta da!

Andi, we roast our own coffee (we're so nuts, we're off the deep end) and we're always seeking recipes that offer coffee as an ingredient.

Your marinade is very appealing to us. Would you please expand on it...quantities for each ingredient? Do you use ground coffee, brewed coffee, or coffee grounds, etc? Also, would you please elaborate about your experiences with it? Thanks.

Regards, Mike

Mike and Top, thanks for the tips, but my gut is calling out for a homemade sauce. I might try them for comparison, though...

Smokin, I have Kirk's sauce book, which you recommended. I tried several of the recipies, and they tasted great (for my friends), but they were too sweet for me. Also, I like the idea of working from scratch (tomato paste). I'd feel great if I could put together my own sauce.

Andi, it sounds pretty sweet. Also, after a slab, I love to nap in front of the TV! What does your marinade do to nap time?

OK Pete, since smokin' threw the gauntlet smack dab upside my head, :::OUCH::: I'll tell ya what I'm a gonna do. I make a tomato based Q sauce that I'll put up against anyones. :::GAUNTLET SMACKS SMOKIN'S LEFT EAR:::

Given the fact that it's just a tad on the sweet side, (95% of Americans crave sugar)I'll give the recipe a tweak and post it here for ya. Gimme a couple of days.

Tweak away, my friend! Your redemption is my salivation!!!

And I'm in that 95% too, except when it comes to meats.

It's so much fun getting TC started on something....looking forward to the results.

Looking forward to the: Gauntlet Smackin' Smokin' Okie Butt's Busting TC Award Winning Sauce I know, the title needs work, but we'll have the forum gang to help there.

And buy the way, the chicken was awesome TC (Mrs. Smokin is out of town so the son and I tried the new recipe...she wouldn't like me cheating on her chicken, but I owed you an answer).

Pete
Glad you got the book and I had a feeling you were going to build your own sauce, not buy it. Let me get back to you tonight and I'll give a few suggestions to go with.

A recommendation for building a rub or a sauce from scratch. Build a good knowledge of spices and have a list of them that you like to use and how they taste to you in a finished product. Also, and this is the fun part. Have another set of spices to use for experimenting.

Glad to help, I'll get back to you tonight.

Smokin'

Here `tis, Mike!

Coffee Molasses Marinade

1 c. strong coffee, brewed
1/2 c. unsulphured molasses
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. dijon mustard (I use Guldens Spicy Brown)
1 tbs. worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

In non-reactive pan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, stirring. Cool and use as a marinade and basting sauce for spare ribs, chicken, whatever! I marinate overnight in this one...

quote:

In non-reactive pan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, stirring. Cool and use as a marinade and basting sauce for spare ribs, chicken, whatever! I marinate overnight in this one...

Andi, Not much for marinades cuz they spell work for me. However...yours we're going to make. It reads like you could simmer it for 30 minutes or whatever and use it as a table sauce. Thanx!

From your experience, is marinating overnight in it giving you any skin problems?

Regards, Mike

quote:

From your experience, is marinating overnight in it giving you any skin problems?

LOL, Mike! Wonder where she got a nonreactive pan big enough? By the way, is this part of your search for a thicker and better bark?

Pete,

this reminds me of others search for a sauce. Wow what a challenge. I'm sure TC will come up with something.

So, you want a pork sauce, not sweet. But you didn't describe, did you want it to have heat? savory? or just "not" sweet?

There's a couple of sauces in Paul's book that I can recommend or we can build one. I like a Memphis Style Sauce (not as sweet as most KC styles). I've got so many sauces and recipes I'm not sure where I get them, but I've usually started with one from somebody and modified it. I'll post it and we'll modify it if you want to try.

Smokin'

Hi, Smokin.

I'm looking for a sauce that is not too sweet, with a mild flavor. It is hard to describe, but I want something that only complements the ribs/pork butt, and doesn't try to do too much else (this definition is open to extreme interpretation, I know!). For the heat I can sprinkle some ground habanero into the sauce, enough to send most people to the hospital. So although I want a spicy sauce, I consider this the last ingredient to work around (I want a good sauce to start with and then make it hot).

Thanks for the tip on the Memphis sauce. I also was interested in the Texas sauce. I have no idea if I ever had either one before, so should just give them a try and see.

Talk to ya later,

quote:

By the way, is this part of your search for a thicker and better bark?

Cog, Nope. Just seeking to reverse the fact that my bark is worse than my bite.

Regards, Mike

Pete,

started a new thread with a Memphis style rib sauce to try to get your "basic" sauce:

Memphis Style Rib Sauce

see you over there on that post

Ha HA, Mikey! Gave me a touch of eczema, but I'll get over it. It's the constant basting that's giving me fits...bugs stick to the molasses! LOL! And that red wine vinegar puckers me puker.