TasunkaWitko
Well-Known Member
I recently purchased The Food of a Younger Land, by Mark Kurlansky:
AMAZON LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040RMF2A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Amazon's book description is very apt:
I just finished reading this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it and I truly encourage anyone who is interested in food, history and Americana to follow the link above and purchase this book. It's a true gem.
One of the many talented writers employed by the project was Eudora Welty, who went on to become quite well-known. As a member of the project in about 1939, she recorded the recipe used by James Acker at his home, The Magnolias, which is located in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
The Magnolias was famous for the barbecue parties held there, and this "house recipe" for their barbecue sauce really drew me in.
Normally, I am not much of a sauce person when it comes to barbecue; I prefer to utilise a progressive layering of flavours, beginning with a mustard or some other slather, followed by a dry rub, then by mopping or basting during cooking, and finishing with a thin glaze that dries to a crackling shine.
Be that as it may, I was intrigued by this sauce, not only because of its ingredients, but also because this was a direct link to genuine, Old-South barbecue history, and I knew I had to try it. I used it on a chicken that i was cooking on my rotisserie, and the results were incredible. The flavours using these simple ingredients were quintessentially barbecue, but were also at the same time something unique that was entirely new to me. savory, tangy, well-balanced and delicious - I encourage anyone, skeptic or not, to give it a try; you will not be disappointed.
The recipe, as transcribed by Welty, consists of heating together:
4 ounces vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
14 ounces catsup
3 ounces Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, of course!)
The juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons salt
Red and black pepper to taste (in deference to Mrs. Tas, I simply used about a tablespoon of Hungarian paprika and a teaspoon of black pepper)
4 ounces butter
That's it. Don't mess with it, don't "improve" it, and don't vary from it.... Simply heat the ingredients together, and you will end up with a beautiful, brick-red sauce that will be on the thin side. Reduce it to a thicker table sauce if you want, or simply mop/baste the meat constantly while cooking, letting the thin layers build over time, and you will be one happy camper.
As I said, I used this on chicken, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that this will also indeed be outstanding for pork, beef, and probably for robust fish as well. The flavour combination is one of those magical things that is much more than the sum of its parts - all ingredients contribute to the whole in wonderful harmony, from the rich undertones provided by the butter to the refreshing accents coming from the lemon. Very good stuff.
I can almost bet that all of the ingredients for this truly Southern barbecue sauce are already in your kitchen or pantry; give this a try and see for yourself - chances are you will enjoy it as much as I did.
AMAZON LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040RMF2A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Amazon's book description is very apt:
I just finished reading this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it and I truly encourage anyone who is interested in food, history and Americana to follow the link above and purchase this book. It's a true gem.
One of the many talented writers employed by the project was Eudora Welty, who went on to become quite well-known. As a member of the project in about 1939, she recorded the recipe used by James Acker at his home, The Magnolias, which is located in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
The Magnolias was famous for the barbecue parties held there, and this "house recipe" for their barbecue sauce really drew me in.
Normally, I am not much of a sauce person when it comes to barbecue; I prefer to utilise a progressive layering of flavours, beginning with a mustard or some other slather, followed by a dry rub, then by mopping or basting during cooking, and finishing with a thin glaze that dries to a crackling shine.
Be that as it may, I was intrigued by this sauce, not only because of its ingredients, but also because this was a direct link to genuine, Old-South barbecue history, and I knew I had to try it. I used it on a chicken that i was cooking on my rotisserie, and the results were incredible. The flavours using these simple ingredients were quintessentially barbecue, but were also at the same time something unique that was entirely new to me. savory, tangy, well-balanced and delicious - I encourage anyone, skeptic or not, to give it a try; you will not be disappointed.
The recipe, as transcribed by Welty, consists of heating together:
4 ounces vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
14 ounces catsup
3 ounces Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, of course!)
The juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons salt
Red and black pepper to taste (in deference to Mrs. Tas, I simply used about a tablespoon of Hungarian paprika and a teaspoon of black pepper)
4 ounces butter
That's it. Don't mess with it, don't "improve" it, and don't vary from it.... Simply heat the ingredients together, and you will end up with a beautiful, brick-red sauce that will be on the thin side. Reduce it to a thicker table sauce if you want, or simply mop/baste the meat constantly while cooking, letting the thin layers build over time, and you will be one happy camper.
As I said, I used this on chicken, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that this will also indeed be outstanding for pork, beef, and probably for robust fish as well. The flavour combination is one of those magical things that is much more than the sum of its parts - all ingredients contribute to the whole in wonderful harmony, from the rich undertones provided by the butter to the refreshing accents coming from the lemon. Very good stuff.
I can almost bet that all of the ingredients for this truly Southern barbecue sauce are already in your kitchen or pantry; give this a try and see for yourself - chances are you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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