Chef Simeon Hall Jr’s Summer Series - Sauces

Welcome back, my fellow grilling enthusiasts, to the eagerly awaited second installment of my sizzling Summer grilling how-to series.

This week, get ready to elevate your grilling game even more as we dive into the decadent world of sauces!

But before we move forward, let’s address this culinary truth: in the Bahamas, we’re all about grilling, not barbecuing.

For the purpose of this article, we’ll be referring to these sauces as BBQ sauces, but in reality, we as Bahamians tend to cook food quickly over direct heat on a grill, which is grilling, not true barbecuing. Barbecuing involves slow-cooking food over indirect heat, often with smoke, on a grill.

Bite-sized history: The art of barbecuing is believed to have its roots in the Caribbean, originating from the indigenous Taino people. They mastered the art of ‘barbacoa,’ slow-cooking meat over wooden frameworks. So, while grilling and barbecuing are often associated with the Southern belt of the US, their true origins lie in the Caribbean.

The significance of a great, wellbalanced BBQ sauce cannot be overstated. Beyond marination, complementing your grilled meat with the perfect sauce is a vital step in achieving maximum flavour and juicy tenderness.

Although I personally prefer a dry-rubbed barbecue, in the Bahamas, we tend to opt for a wet, saucy, caramelised type of barbecue - oops - grill-out. We slather our grilled meats with simple, store-bought tomato-based sauces, which we may enhance with sugar, honey or fruit preserves. But what if I told you that you could create the most incredible BBQ sauces right from the comfort of your own home?

In this article, we’ll be exploring three types of mouth-watering sauces: the classic tomato-based BBQ sauce, the zesty mustard-based BBQ sauce and the tangy white BBQ sauce.

The tomatobased BBQ sauce, just like my ‘ScratchMade Rum BBQ Sauce,’ reigns as the most popular and versatile type of BBQ sauce. It brings together the goodness of rich tomato sauce or paste, harmoniously balanced with a tangy kick of vinegar, and infused with ultra-sweet notes from sugar, honey, or even molasses. The result is a true crowd pleaser and perfect complement to pork ribs, grilled chicken, and hamburgers.

While not as common as tomatobased BBQ sauce, but certainly not less flavourful, mustard-based BBQ sauce will give your grilling experience a refreshing twist, with its bold combination of mustard, tangy vinegar, and a touch of sweetness from honey or sugar. The result is a tangy, zesty sauce that pairs exceptionally well with grilled chicken, grilled vegetables and grilled sandwich meats like hamburgers, hotdogs and bratwursts.

If you’re eager to explore a non-traditional and truly unconventional BBQ sauce, you’d be in for a treat with white BBQ sauce! Originating in Alabama, this creamy and tangy sauce boasts a velvety blend of mayonnaise, tangy vinegar, and a spicy kick of horseradish or hot sauce. It’s an undeservedly underrated BBQ sauce compared to the aforementioned sauces, but it packs a potent punch of flavour when slathered on grilled chicken, grilled turkey, grilled shrimp, and even vegetables.

Recipes Basting Sauce

Basting sauce can be anything from apple juice, to vinegar, or even a thinner version of your finished BBQ sauce. Whenever I grill or slow BBQ, I always use this recipe to base my meat dishes.

Chef tip: Use a foodsafe spray bottle to evenly coat the meat with the basting sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup of apple juice

1 cup of distilled water

1/2 cup brown rum (I use One Drop, Ricardo, or Bacardi Gold)

1 tin of Coca-Cola

Instructions:

1. Combine the ingredients until smooth.

2. Use the mixture to baste the meat according to your preference.

Scratch-Made Rum BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1⁄2 lb butter

1⁄2 yellow onion

2 cups ketchup

1⁄4 cup apple cider (or similar) vinegar

2 oz light brown sugar

1 heaping tsp kosher salt

1 heaping tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 light tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Juice of half a lime

1⁄2 cup local rum

Instructions:

1. Sweat the onions in butter.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the rum, and simmer for 35-40 minutes.

3. After removing from heat, add the rum immediately, then cover the mixture.

4. Allow it to come to room temperature and let it sit for at least 4 hours.

White BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups premium mayonnaise

3⁄4 cup white vinegar

4 tablespoons liquid smoke

3 tablespoons freshly milled black pepper (please make sure you mill it fresh)

1⁄4 cup sugar

10 splashes of your favourite hot sauce

Chef Tips:

1. For this sauce, you will need to buy premium mayonnaise.

2. An ingredient called liquid smoke is available at any local market; I always find it.

3. When mixing mayonnaise-based sauces, always whip the mayonnaise smooth before anything else to avoid lumps.

4. Always mix your BBQ sauces the day before; the flavors mesh together better.

Instructions:

1. Whip the mayonnaise until smooth and then combine all the remaining ingredients.

2. Let the mixture sit for at least 4 hours.