Laena's Carolina BBQ Sauce Recipe

A yankee by birth but with some South and North Carolina heritage, Laena loves a good vinegary BBQ sauce. This is her absolute favorite BBQ sauce for meat, veggies and beyond.

Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce is considered to be some of the best stuff out there for adding flavor to grilled meat and veggies. This thinner, tangier cousin to Kansas City BBQ sauce is fantastic for painting on your whole hog barbecue all day long, but works just as well for a weeknight pork shoulder or chicken legs. The well-balanced combination of flavors greatly enhances the flavor of smoked meat by tenderizing those proteins with the high vinegar content.

And feel free to get creative! Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, or a slug of bourbon.

Let’s go grill!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-oz Apple cider vinegar

  • 4-oz Spicy smoky ketchup

  • 1 Pack (2 tablespoons) of organic dark brown sugar

  • 1 Pack (2 teaspoons) Signature spice blend (smoked paprika, mustard seed, fennel, coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, black pepper)

EQUIPMENT

  • 1 Eight-ounce glass jar with lid, such as Ball or Kerr

  • 1 Pot for cooking

  • 1 Wooden or heat-safe cooking spoon

DIRECTIONS

Spicy Ketchup

  • Combine 4 ounces of store bought ketchup with 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce. Add a dash of liquid smoke or smoked salt for extra smokiness.

BBQ SAUCE

  • Add everything to a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

  • Simmer on low for 5-minutes, or until the texture is reduced to your liking.

  • Taste it! Like it spicier? Add a dash of hot sauce or chili powder! Sweeter? Add another teaspoon of sugar or molasses.

  • Fill jar and cap.

  • Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. BBQ sauce should last at least 6-months in the fridge.

SHOPPING LIST

  • 4-oz Apple cider vinegar

  • 4-oz Ketchup

  • 1 Tablespoon hot sauce

  • 2 tablespoons of organic dark brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons our signature spice blend or another spice mix of your choice (smoked paprika, mustard seed, fennel, coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, black pepper)

  • 1 eight-ounce (half-pint) heat-safe glass jar and lid to store your sauce in

Laena McCarthy