Barbecue sauce

Barbecue sauce is one of the most famous American gastronomic inventions. They turned the process of grilling meat into a special culture, and the sauce became its integral part. Today there are hundreds of barbecue variations with different bases, sets of ingredients and acceptable combinations.

What you need to know about American sauce, which varieties are considered the most successful, and can this product be classified as a healthy diet?

General product characteristics

The name of the sauce comes from a special technique for cooking meat. In English, there are 3 spellings of the term – “barbecue”, “barbeque”, “bbq”. By this they mean languishing meat with smoke from logs at low temperatures. A sauce consonant with the name is added to the finished dish, which gives smoked meat and piquancy to the cut.

Barbecue is used not only as a sauce, but also as a marinade. It can be added at all stages of cooking (or simply served in a separate container) – this will not affect the taste and structure of the finished dish. The consistency of the food ingredient can be both liquid and viscous, and the taste varies from neutral tomato to rich mustard. These characteristics depend on the personal preferences of the chef or the specifics of the institution.

Interesting. An alternative to bbq sauce is a dry marinade. It consists of salt and 2-3 types of spices. The dry mixture is rubbed into the meat immediately before cooking or a few hours before.

Among the many sauce recipes, in addition to mustard or tomatoes, even exotic ingredients are found. For example, an expensive wine that gives a light sweet aftertaste and a distinctive alcoholic touch.

Modern chefs highlight 4 main varieties of barbecue sauce:

1. Mustard or mustard. The main ingredient is mustard. A minimal set of spices is added to it to taste, which emphasize bitterness and piquancy;
2. Vinegar and pepper or peppermint. It is considered the most ancient species. Acetic-pepper sauce was prepared by Indians. They combined different types of vinegar with spices and hot peppers. The mixture was poured on raw meat, then the product was subjected to heat treatment;
3. Light tomato or “light tomato” (less concentrated and spicy mixture). The most popular kind of sauce, because it satisfies the gastronomic needs of the majority of the population. It has a thick delicate texture and sweet taste with hints of tomatoes;
4. Heavy tomato or “heavy tomato” (more concentrated and spicy mixture). The main ingredients are tomatoes and granulated sugar. During cooking, the sugar caramelizes and gives the sauce its characteristic viscosity. A rich taste is provided by vinegar, pepper, fruit juices, honey and spices.

Historical information

Each barbecue base has particular ethnic roots. The first mention of bbq as a phenomenon dates back to 1672 year. Southeastern United States becomes the center of a new gastronomic culture. It was from there that the barbecue spread all over the world. In addition to the Americans themselves, representatives of other countries lived in the south-eastern territories. The Germans, the British, the Scots, other immigrants from Europe introduced their gastronomic identity into the product.

It is believed that the mustard bbq was invented by the Germans. They lacked piquancy and bitter pungency, so it was decided to dilute the sweet sauce with mustard. The vinegar-pepper variation belongs to the Scots – lovers of spicy foods, but the tomato versions continue to be an American treasure to this day.

The chemical composition of the food ingredient

Traditional Sauce Recipe

Important: Below is a light version of bbq, which can be prepared in a microwave. You can change the composition to stabilize its nutritional value. For example, replace sugar with honey or add more hot spices.

We need:

• butter (in the original recipe they use butter, but it can be replaced with vegetable oil) – 2 tablespoons;
• ketchup – 200 grams;
• apple cider vinegar – 50 milliliters;
• Worcestershire sauce – 1 tablespoon;
• chopped onion – 10-20 grams;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• dry paprika – 2 tablespoons;
• brown sugar – 2 tablespoons;
• chilli to taste;
• salt / pepper to taste.

Preparation

Finely chop the onion, garlic and pour them into the microwave container. Pour oil into the same container and send in a microwave on 2-3 minutes at maximum temperature. During this time, the vegetables should be soft, and the oil (if you use butter) to melt.

Add the remaining ingredients to the oily liquid: vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar or honey, spices to taste. Mix the contents thoroughly and send the container back to the microwave for 7 minutes at maximum temperature. Stop the process 1-3 times to stir the sauce, ensuring even heat. As soon as the consistency has become thick, the barbecue is ready for further use.

Life hack. If you don’t have a microwave, cook bbq in a water bath. Fill a medium saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and place a bowl of sauce ingredients on top.

Remember to take precautions and take out the container with an oven mitt, and not with your bare hands. The temperature of a freshly cooked barbecue is high, so there is a risk of burns. Thoroughly mix the thick mass and evaluate the taste. If the sauce is too spicy, add some water to it and stir again. If the taste is neutral, add a few pinches of salt/pepper/chili/garlic to taste.

Tip: Use a blender or strainer to achieve a uniform sauce structure.

The food ingredient can be used immediately after preparation. If you do not intend to barbecue further heat treatment, then cool it before serving guests. Ready sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in glass jars. Shelf life can reach 2-3 weeks, it is better to eat an opened jar in 2-5 days.

Is it possible to classify barbecue as a healthy product?

It all depends on the composition. In the classic sauce a lot of salt and sugar. Abuse of these components leads to:

• deterioration of the heart and blood vessels;
• obesity;
• diabetes;
• an increase in blood glucose and cholesterol;
• reduce the protective functions of immunity.

They can be completely removed from the composition / reduce the dosage, if you cook on your own or eat in a school. With industrial products is much more difficult. In addition to innocent salts, sugar manufacturers add flavor enhancers, thickeners, E-preservatives and potassium sorbate. Because of them, we get tremendous pleasure from the meal and serious problems after it. Favorite sauce will slowly but surely poison the gastrointestinal tract, causing infections and serious diseases.

Important: potassium sorbate is added to food products to increase their shelf life to several months. Remember that high-quality barbecue sauce cannot be very cheap and stored 3-4 of the month. Really useful product will have to search and pay for it a rather big amount.

If you can’t imagine your life without traditional bbq sauce, you can’t find a healthy analogue, but you really don’t want to get an ulcer, balance your diet. Albeit harmful, but such a favorite sauce is only 5-10% of the daily diet. All other products must be fresh, high quality and organic. The list includes vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish and seafood, whole grains, legumes. Set the right priorities within yourself. What is more important – to please your taste buds now or to rise without assistance at 60? Make the right decisions and be healthy.