The Sweet BBQ Sauce Mistake That Ruins Your Flavor
Many factors go into making the perfect BBQ sauce from scratch, but one you can never forget is adding a burst of sweetness to the mix. Not all BBQ sauces have a particularly sugary taste to them (it's just as important to know how to balance overly-sweet BBQ sauces using vinegar), but it's difficult to know where to start when sweetening the sauce. Luckily, we spoke to James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef and Founder of both Gatlin's BBQ and Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, Greg Gatlin, to discuss the best methods of amping up our BBQ sauce's sweetness. He says the most important step is using the correct type of sweetener for your tastes.
"You can use white sugar with BBQ sauce," Gatlin said. "But there are other sweeteners like brown sugar that really give the sauce more depth, creating a much more tasty sauce." The reason white sugar isn't the ideal candidate for BBQ sauce comes down to its relative lack of richness and complexity, something that's necessary if you want to really level up your sauce's profile.
Why white sugar isn't always the best option for BBQ sauce
According to Gatlin, brown sugar in BBQ sauce works well due to its inclusion of molasses (the key ingredient that differentiates white and brown sugar) which gives it a richer taste and, as a result, leads to a more dynamic sauce overall. "Deciding which sweetener to use really depends on what you're trying to achieve with the sauce," Gatlin explained. "If looking for a more sweet sauce go with brown sugar and really be liberal in adding it." With this in mind, using other sweeteners like maple syrup or straight molasses will likewise produce a richer, more distinct taste as well as a thicker texture; leading to a sauce that many BBQ enthusiasts will love.
Paradoxically, while white sugar isn't ideal for BBQ sauce (even if you have a sweet tooth), it does have its place. "If you want something more savory, use white sugar in moderation," Gatlin added. "The use of white sugar gives the other more savory components a chance to be in balance and shine as well."