Sauce, barbecue

Barbecue sauce is brushed onto ribs, chicken, pulled pork and burgers during the last minutes of grilling or baking so its sugars caramelize into a sticky glaze without burning, and it doubles as a table condiment for dipping fries or sandwiches. Most bottled versions build a tomato or vinegar base with molasses, brown sugar and spices like paprika and smoke flavoring, giving a texture that ranges from thin and tangy to thick and glossy. Regional styles vary widely, some lean sweet and ketchup-forward, others favor a sharper vinegar-and-pepper base with little sugar at all. It is also stirred into slow cooker pulled pork, mixed into meatloaf, brushed onto grilled corn, or used as a base for baked beans and barbecue-glazed meatballs.

Look for a sauce whose thickness matches its job, thinner versions work better as marinades that soak into meat before cooking while thick ones cling to grilled meat for glazing near the end. A tablespoon (about 17 g) supplies roughly 29 calories along with 5.6 g of sugar and 175 mg of sodium, so measuring it out rather than pouring freely keeps a recipe on track, especially since the sugar content can turn a light glaze into a heavy one quickly. Once opened, keep the bottle refrigerated and use it within the window printed on the label; because sugar and sodium add up fast at 33.2 g and 1,030 mg per 100 g respectively, it works best as a finishing flavor brushed on in a thin layer rather than a base ingredient poured on generously.