Is there anything better than smoked brisket, thick bbq sauce, and sweet tea? Add a few side dishes like beans and potato salad and you have yourself a fine meal!

Bbq sauce has been around for hundreds of years (since the early 1700’s in South Carolina). The actual word is derived from the Spanish word barbacoa which was taken from the Haitan word with the same spelling, and it was a way of cooking over heat and smoke. The word became barbeque and morphed into an abbreviated term:  bbq.

History tells us that it started out as only vinegar, pepper and a dash of salt. Later, a mustard base emerged then came the tomato base (thin and thick). There’s always a debate about the best kind of sauce and which Southern state serves it right. I’ve heard tell there is a white bbq sauce with a mayonnaise base. Not sure my West Texas roots can go for that…I’d probably call that sissy sauce (now don’t go gettin’ mad at me if you love sissy sauce…to each his own).

And since we are on the word bbq, please make sure it is used correctly when speaking. It may have started out as a way of cooking meat but not anymore. Not in the South. Northerners usually say something along the lines of “let’s bbq some hotdogs tonight” but that use of the term hurts my ears. Oh, y’all! They are grilling hotdogs, not barbequing them.

My friend, Cara, a true Southerner from Mississippi and wonderful cook, made me some of my very own, original sauce. Not a touch of mayo, thank goodness.

Easy Southern BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tsp dried mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne 

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 medium onion very thinly sliced

1/2 tsp butter

2 tbsp Worcestershire 

1 tsp liquid smoke 

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, dried mustard, pepper, salt, cayenne, lemon juice, onion and butter.  Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 more minutes.  Use as is or purée until smooth.  Use immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week.

Come on over and sit a spell. Southern charm is served.

Kim