When someone mentions barbecue, certain images come to the mind—the backyard grill, friends gathering….
Start your barbecue with your favorite fresh ingredients from Joe’s Butcher Shop in Elmer or Niblock’s Pork Shop in Quinton. Both locations are Xspero Merchant partners so when you use your Xspero app to make your meat purchase, 20 percent goes to your favorite charity without costing you more.
Different cooks have different styles of cooking. Some prefer rubbing the seasoning prior to cooking and some will marinate the meat first. The prep and ingredients for may differ but no barbecue will taste as good without the perfect barbecue sauce.
Common examples of barbecue sauces include those based on tomato, vinegar and mustard. To give the barbecue its distinctive taste and prevent the meat from burning, barbecue sauces are often applied to the meat as it is being cooked; the exception is tomato-based sauces as those sauces tend to burn easier.
Tomato-based barbecue sauce is the most widely used. The point to remember in preparing tomato-based barbecue sauce is to cook the tomatoes very well in order for the flavor to blend with the other ingredients. Tomato-based barbecue sauces are acidic. Because of this, it has the property to breakdown all the flavor of other ingredients blending them with its own. To make it even more flavorful, prepare tomato barbecue sauces a day in advance.
Mustard-based sauces are preferred in North Carolina. The mustard-based barbecue sauce is great for grilling pork.
Vinegar is great meat tenderizer. It is even more acidic than tomatoes. Because of its acidity, vinegar-based sauces tend to penetrate deep into the meat. To make this barbecue sauce more flavorful, experiment mixing it with chili, cider vinegar or red pepper, sugar salt and other ingredients.
Remember whatever works for you and your family can be a great barbecue sauce. Whether you’re adding chicken, pork, or beef to your grill make sure you stop by Niblock’s Pork Shop or Joe’s Butcher Shop for the freshest meats and sides to make your barbecue amazing. Don’t forget to use your Xspero app to give to your favorite charity without costing you more!
Don’t have the Xspero app yet? Download it today from your phone’s app store and get to giving today, because giving feels good!
