Don't Use This Sauce As A Marinade Unless You Want A Scorched Mess

Barbecue sauce is a flavorful condiment that's packed with ingredients. So naturally, you might consider reaching for it as a meat marinade before it hits the grill. But one component in barbecue sauce can actually cause scorching issues when you toss that meat on the heat — the sugar. It's no secret that sugar can cook from an appealing caramel to blackened soot in mere moments, so we spoke to Chip Carter, producer and host of "Where The Food Comes From," about some ground rules to follow when potentially using barbecue sauce as a marinade.

Carter said that you should simply skip using barbecue sauce altogether because "omitting any sugars or keeping them to a bare minimum" is better if you're going to marinate your meat prior to cooking. If you still want to add barbecue sauce, you can easily apply the sauce during the last 10 to 15 minutes of the cooking process. 

Also, a bit of sugar won't be a problem if the marinade is injected into the meat. Carter explained, "A lot of people will inject larger cuts of meat or even whole poultry with a marinade, which can provide fantastic flavor and moisture." This method won't cause the scorching issue to happen.

Now that you know to avoid using barbecue sauce as a marinade, you can turn to dry rubs. Chip Carter suggested using dry rub spices as a starting point, preferably two to 24 hours in advance. He told us, "If I'm going to turn that into a marinade, it's likely I'll use a water base with just a little [extra virgin olive oil] to make it adhere; I might use a white or flavored vinegar for that base; though, it's all dish-dependent." 

For example, he suggested using an apple cider vinegar-based marinade for a barbecue pork roast. Depending on what the dish is, Carter also likes using soy sauce, which he said "can be a great secret weapon." Teriyaki sauce makes do, too, but it contains more sugar than just soy sauce, so it's meant to be added in small amounts. 

"And then there are dozens of premixed dry rubs and marinades that are phenomenal and take out any guesswork," Carter said. While he didn't recommend any specific ones, those recipes already have tested formulas, so there's no tweaking necessary. So, as much as a barbecue sauce sounds like an ideal marinade, skip it — you've got plenty of other options at your disposal, and don't worry, you'll still be able to use barbecue sauce if you want. Just brush it on during the last part of the cooking process.