My ForensicBBQ Traditional BBQ is dynamite. I was gifted an age-old recipe, tweaked it a bit, and called it my own. I could stop there and call it a day, or I could keep pushing forward. Why have one good recipe when you can have two, five, ten, etc. Let’s get back to the kitchen and do some trial and error.
Not going to put in the recipes for this one, but I’ll definitely show you what I’m using – Ain’t nothing set in stone for these, they’ll be changed up probably a dozen times until they’re ready to go.
The Traditional sauce is a great everyday sauce on most items, but I noticed in my Country-Style Pork Ribs recipe, I was missing that sticky dark BBQ sauce. I enjoy a Carolina Vinegar on my pork butt (usually toss it post-smoke), but I don’t have a dedicated BBQ sauce for it. And why not try something similar to the Traditional, but adds some sautéed onion/shallots and garlic? Let’s keep the trials going:
The Line Up
As stated, my sauce was lacking that molasses viscosity – that thick BBQ sauce that coats the product. Definitely not an everyday kind of sauce, at least for me, but something I thought should be on the table as an option. This recipe was simple – molasses and tomato sauce (with jalapeno? Yes please). Combined these ingredients, boil/simmer and jarred it up. I’ll say here, I didn’t try any of these while hot or fresh off the stove. Going to give each a day or two in the fridge to get them flavors together and try them out. No one eats a fresh sauce (or do they and I’m just missing out?) – let’s give them all the fridge test.
This was the most involved one yet. Brown Sugar was missing from the photo, but you can see the full range of flavor going into this one. Sautéed up the garlic/onion in a butter pool and added the rest. Some things particularly unusual – I found some “hot honey” with habanero, that tomato sauce with jalapeno (again), and used the spicy maple syrup. Everything else was pretty basic, but definitely looking forward to this! I put this through a strainer and jarred it up – and saved the thickness to use as a spread for later!
Going a little outside the box and added a little peach with this one. This one was pretty thick also, but kept it as is. It’s a test run, learn as we go. Sorry MrsForensicBBQ.. I know you kept these peaches in the fridge, but I used them. Spoiler alert for when you get home.
The last one was that vinegary sauce that I love. That massive tub is the sugar – MrsForensicBBQ is worse with the bulk than I am sometimes. This one is simple, and most of the time I do like simple. A six-ingredient BBQ sauce is never a bad idea.
Pretty good sauce consistency 
This one is looking like a winner 
Pretty salsa like – gotta reduce!
The jarred samples: Molasses, Carolina Vinegar, Hearty Thick, and Peachy. That hearty thick resulted in way too much – plus that “spread” leftover in the back. Mason jars got their use today. Let’s get to tasting!
The Taste Test
My favorite, unsurprisingly to me, was the Carolina Vinegar. I’ve always been a fan of the thin sauce on pork and it was apparent today too. That being said, it’s a pork-only sauce for me. When I do a pulled pork for a crowd, I often use a variant as a “finishing sauce”. It adds moisture, a little flavor, some “kick” – just makes it an overall better product in my opinion. This is just adding more to it.
The Hearty Thick Blend was also a very good everyday BBQ sauce. This one will take a little bit of tweaking as well to get it right, but it was a delicious “typical” BBQ sauce. It had about everything you’d want, and naturally – was the hardest to make.
Sweet Southern Molasses: (Shown at 9 o’clock)
Thick Hearty Blend: (Shown at 3 o’clock)
Carolina Vinegar: (Shown at 12 o’clock)
Peachy Sauce: (Shown at 6 o’clock)
Finishing up the reviews, the Sweet Southern Molasses was okay. I wanted molasses, I got molasses. It was just a little bit too molassessy (wow, I typed that). I think this one wasn’t a total loss, I could definitely work with it. I’ll probably mix a batch and try a few changes along the way and if it works – awesome. If not, back to the drawing board.
And finishing up with my least favorite – unfortunately by far, was the Peach sauce. I knew right away the consistency was not favorable. I should’ve strained it like I did the “hearty thick”, but I didn’t. I really don’t have a good reason why I didn’t. I think fatigue set in after trying 4 sauces in a day – laziness.. but it still had potential. I might try it again with an obvious strainer involved (Spoiler: I use it in an upcoming recipe).
I love experimenting. I love the art that’s involved and even when you fail, you learn. Keep on keeping on. Thanks for co-piloting this journey, I look forward to another BBQ sauce post and showing you what works, what doesn’t, and the “why” to both. Love you, and stay tuned for the MrsForensicBBQ post coming on Monday!
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