Is vinegar-based BBQ sauce available around here?

I am beyond excited to report that I have gotten my hands on some barbecue (what you fine Illinois natives refer to as "pulled pork") that is not pre-sauced. If it is as good as I am hoping, I will post a report.

What I need to accompany this delicacy, though, in true North Carolina style, is a vinegar-based sauce. While I found a recipe on-line to make my own that looks pretty tasty, I was kind of hoping to find a bottle of the stuff. My searches thus far have not turned up anything promising. Does anyone have any intel on this?

I'm in Park Ridge, but would travel pretty far within the area to get some of this goodness.

My Roadhouse brand has four varieties, including one vinegar based sauce. We call it "Southern Sunset". The concept behind it was to take the essential ingredients representing the major styles of Southern Barbecue Sauce and bring them together in one bottle.

For example we have:
two kinds of vinegar=North Carolina
mustard powder=South Carolina
peach juice and onion=Georgia
lemon juice and molasses=Florida
tomato (just a pinch)=Alabama & Mississippi
garlic and three kinds of peppers =Louisiana
and dried apricots, just 'cause they play so nice with the peach...

Our sauces are available at all Sunset Foods and Mariano's. Or if you're interested, and because I'm such a nice guy, and also because you're in Park Ridge and I'm in Des Plaines, I might be persuaded to sell you some out of the back of my garage. I might even be willing to trade you some sauce for some of that Pulled Pork.

Let me know.

Buddy

Bone Suckin' BBQ is a Western NC style sauce that I've found to be pretty good (I believe Whole Foods carries it.) It does, however, contain "natural hickory smoke," so if you're not a fan of that stuff in your barbecue sauce, that may not be for you. As it's a Western North Carolina style sauce, it contains tomatoes/ketchup.

If you're just looking for a thin, vinegar-based finishing sauce, to be honest, I've never seen one commercially available around here. I've always thought of it as something you whip up at home. I'd be curious to hear if there are any.

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:My Roadhouse brand has four varieties, including one vinegar based sauce. We call it "Southern Sunset". The concept behind it was to take the essential ingredients representing the major styles of Southern Barbecue Sauce and bring them together in one bottle.

For example we have:
two kinds of vinegar=North Carolina
mustard powder=South Carolina
peach juice and onion=Georgia
lemon juice and molasses=Florida
tomato (just a pinch)=Alabama & Mississippi
garlic and three kinds of peppers =Louisiana
and dried apricots, just 'cause they play so nice with the peach...

Our sauces are available at all Sunset Foods and Mariano's. Or if you're interested, and because I'm such a nice guy, and also because you're in Park Ridge and I'm in Des Plaines, I might be persuaded to sell you some out of the back of my garage. I might even be willing to trade you some sauce for some of that Pulled Pork.

Let me know.

Buddy

Im not a fan of vinegar based sauces but I like this one and use it ..highly recommended

When I lived in the Piedmont area of NC, BBQ sauce was usually just white vinegar with a few red pepper flakes floating in it, served in a clear squeeze bottle.

Buddy, your sauce sounds *wonderful*! Any retailers up here in Montréal?

sdbond, if you're not above making your own, I've got a recipe for a Lexington-type sauce that I've used (and loved) for years. It's a table sauce, not a cooking sauce. Here it is (note that "pts" stands for "parts", e.g., volumes):

8 pts ketchup
8 pts vinegar
2.5 pts sugar
2 pts salt
1 pt pepper
1 pt crushed red pepper flakes
pinch cayenne
pinch chipotle
32 pts water

Combine all ingedients, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. I usually simmer for a couple of hours. I put it into a squeeze bottle, and squirt it onto the pulled pork once I've assembled it onto the bun. It'll save forever in the 'fridge.

Geo

If a straight-up Eastern NC style 'Dip' is your desire whip one up yourself.

Bob in Georgia's 'Dip' (Eastern North Carolina Style Sauce)

2 cups vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:My Roadhouse brand has four varieties, including one vinegar based sauce. We call it "Southern Sunset". The concept behind it was to take the essential ingredients representing the major styles of Southern Barbecue Sauce and bring them together in one bottle.

For example we have:
two kinds of vinegar=North Carolina
mustard powder=South Carolina
peach juice and onion=Georgia
lemon juice and molasses=Florida
tomato (just a pinch)=Alabama & Mississippi
garlic and three kinds of peppers =Louisiana
and dried apricots, just 'cause they play so nice with the peach...

Our sauces are available at all Sunset Foods and Mariano's. Or if you're interested, and because I'm such a nice guy, and also because you're in Park Ridge and I'm in Des Plaines, I might be persuaded to sell you some out of the back of my garage. I might even be willing to trade you some sauce for some of that Pulled Pork.

Let me know.

Buddy

Oh my dear Buddy, you are singing my song!

I would love to connect -- but I only have 1 lb. of the porky goodness at the moment, so for now, may I just trade in good ol' American cash for a couple bottles of the vinegar-based sauce? When I get some more, I will happily share. If you want, send me a PM and we can make arrangements!

Thanks so much,
Sharon

Binko wrote:Bone Suckin' BBQ is a Western NC style sauce that I've found to be pretty good (I believe Whole Foods carries it.) It does, however, contain "natural hickory smoke," so if you're not a fan of that stuff in your barbecue sauce, that may not be for you. As it's a Western North Carolina style sauce, it contains tomatoes/ketchup.

If you're just looking for a thin, vinegar-based finishing sauce, to be honest, I've never seen one commercially available around here. I've always thought of it as something you whip up at home. I'd be curious to hear if there are any.

Hi Binko,

For barbecue, I prefer my sauce sans ketchup, but this sauce sounds good for other applications. I will check it out. Thanks!

Sharon

d4v3 wrote:When I lived in the Piedmont area of NC, BBQ sauce was usually just white vinegar with a few red pepper flakes floating in it, served in a clear squeeze bottle.

I did find a few places on-line that recommended this preparation, but the other sites I consulted had recipes with more ingredients that sounded more familiar to me. (I have lived all over NC, from Southern Pines to Chapel Hill to King to Greensboro, so have sampled many different varieties. My favorite remains vinegar-based, no ketchup.)

Sharon

Geo wrote:Buddy, your sauce sounds *wonderful*! Any retailers up here in Montréal?

sdbond, if you're not above making your own, I've got a recipe for a Lexington-type sauce that I've used (and loved) for years. It's a table sauce, not a cooking sauce. Here it is (note that "pts" stands for "parts", e.g., volumes):

8 pts ketchup
8 pts vinegar
2.5 pts sugar
2 pts salt
1 pt pepper
1 pt crushed red pepper flakes
pinch cayenne
pinch chipotle
32 pts water

Combine all ingedients, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. I usually simmer for a couple of hours. I put it into a squeeze bottle, and squirt it onto the pulled pork once I've assembled it onto the bun. It'll save forever in the 'fridge.

Geo

Geo,

That does sound good; I have saved it to my ever-growing collection of recipes. Thanks!
Sharon

G Wiv wrote:If a straight-up Eastern NC style 'Dip' is your desire whip one up yourself.

Bob in Georgia's 'Dip' (Eastern North Carolina Style Sauce)

2 cups vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar

Thanks, GWiv!
Also saved to my collection.

Sharon

sdbond wrote:Oh my dear Buddy, you are singing my song!

I would love to connect -- but I only have 1 lb. of the porky goodness at the moment, so for now, may I just trade in good ol' American cash for a couple bottles of the vinegar-based sauce? When I get some more, I will happily share. If you want, send me a PM and we can make arrangements!

Thanks so much,
Sharon

A PM with my contact info has been sent.

I will agree to an exchange of cash in lieu of 'Que on condition that if you like the sauce (and only if you like it, no fake testimonials here) you will express said fondness on this thread. If you don't care for it, it's okay to say so. Non-expression, however, is not an option.

Geo,
Finding our sauces in Canada, (and for that matter, in your second home, Kansas City) is a hit or miss affair. We just started doing business with a distributor out of London, Ontario. Unfortunately, he deals exclusively with restaurants. However, his last purchase was for our retail size bottles which leads me to believe that somewhere in The Great White North there is a restaurateur selling our sauces at his front counter, or some such arrangement. I'll try to get more info for you but don't hold your breath. Distributors tend be very tight-lipped about sharing customer information with their vendors.

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:

sdbond wrote:Oh my dear Buddy, you are singing my song!

I would love to connect -- but I only have 1 lb. of the porky goodness at the moment, so for now, may I just trade in good ol' American cash for a couple bottles of the vinegar-based sauce? When I get some more, I will happily share. If you want, send me a PM and we can make arrangements!

Thanks so much,
Sharon

A PM with my contact info has been sent.

I will agree to an exchange of cash in lieu of 'Que on condition that if you like the sauce (and only if you like it, no fake testimonials here) you will express said fondness on this thread. If you don't care for it, it's okay to say so. Non-expression, however, is not an option.

Geo,
Finding our sauces in Canada, (and for that matter, in your second home, Kansas City) is a hit or miss affair. We just started doing business with a distributor out of London, Ontario. Unfortunately, he deals exclusively with restaurants. However, his last purchase was for our retail size bottles which leads me to believe that somewhere in The Great White North there is a restaurateur selling our sauces at his front counter, or some such arrangement. I'll try to get more info for you but don't hold your breath. Distributors tend be very tight-lipped about sharing customer information with their vendors.

Buddy

Buddy,

That's a deal!

Sharon

Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Are you going to have the 'cue while watching the Heels tonight?

-- Amata, also a Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred...

Amata wrote:Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Are you going to have the 'cue while watching the Heels tonight?

-- Amata, also a Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred...

I have searched in vain for Texas Pete locally and felt quite misled when I saw a TV spot not that long ago for it, I think during a Bears game. Love that stuff! While I like Frank's, and use it liberally, it's just not the same.

But yes, my plans for this evening are to indeed enjoy the 'cue and the Heels! Can't wait, although my exuberance has been tempered a bit by Kendall Marshall's fractured wrist.

From whence do you hail in the great Tar Heel State? My hometown is Southern Pines, a little dot on the road 60 miles south of Chapel Hill, but I've lived in quite a few places over the years.

Nice to meet another transplanted Tar Heel!

Amata wrote:Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Village Foods (1521 E Hyde Park Blvd) usually has several Texas Pete products, sometimes even the little green chilies packed in vinegar.

Southern Pines is a really pretty spot! I'm from Chapel Hill, myself.

Rene G wrote:

Amata wrote:Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Village Foods (1521 E Hyde Park Blvd) usually has several Texas Pete products, sometimes even the little green chilies packed in vinegar.

I saw some at Harrison's Poultry a couple of weeks ago.

Harison's Poultry
1201 Waukegan Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 724-0132

Now -- what about the Texas Pete??

Jewel carries it. So do the Target stores that have a supermarket.

This might be helpful: The Texas Pete Hot Sauce Locator

sundevilpeg wrote:

Now -- what about the Texas Pete??

Jewel carries it. So do the Target stores that have a supermarket.

This might be helpful: The Texas Pete Hot Sauce Locator

The last time I looked, the Jewel in Park Ridge did not have it. I think I'm headed there this afternoon, though, so I will check again.

stevez wrote:

Rene G wrote:

Amata wrote:Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Village Foods (1521 E Hyde Park Blvd) usually has several Texas Pete products, sometimes even the little green chilies packed in vinegar.

I saw some at Harrison's Poultry a couple of weeks ago.

Harison's Poultry
1201 Waukegan Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 724-0132

Thanks, stevez! Next time I'm out that way, I will stop in. I used to always get my Thanksgiving turkey at Harrison's, but the place was such a zoo that I never got a good look at what they had on the shelves and in the coolers. Might be a little calmer place this time of year. Oh, wait -- they also might be doing a lot of Spring holiday business, so maybe I'll wait a bit before visiting...

Amata wrote:Southern Pines is a really pretty spot! I'm from Chapel Hill, myself.

So as not to derail this thread completely, I will send you a PM, Amata.

Sharon

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:My Roadhouse brand has four varieties, including one vinegar based sauce. We call it "Southern Sunset". The concept behind it was to take the essential ingredients representing the major styles of Southern Barbecue Sauce and bring them together in one bottle.

Our sauces are available at all Sunset Foods and Mariano's. Or if you're interested, and because I'm such a nice guy, and also because you're in Park Ridge and I'm in Des Plaines, I might be persuaded to sell you some out of the back of my garage. I might even be willing to trade you some sauce for some of that Pulled Pork.

Let me know.

Buddy

Thanks for the info on where to buy your sauces. I just finished a bottle of Roadhouse Original Recipe and was wondering where I'd replace it, now that America's Market is gone. Can't go for very long without that awesome Roadhouse BBQ sauce. They're all good, but I'm devoted to Original Recipe.

If you have trouble finding our sauces at the grocery store, you can always pick up a bottle at Burt's. Don't even need to call ahead if that's all you're getting.

Buddy

If you are near a World Market store, they have Scott's, my favorite pork BBQ/Finishing sauce and a southern staple for I believe $2.39. They don't carry this all year so I would stock up on it.

stevez wrote:

Rene G wrote:

Amata wrote:Now -- what about the Texas Pete??
(my own stash is from NC, but I think folks here may know of local shops carrying T.P.)

Village Foods (1521 E Hyde Park Blvd) usually has several Texas Pete products, sometimes even the little green chilies packed in vinegar.

I saw some at Harrison's Poultry a couple of weeks ago.

Harison's Poultry
1201 Waukegan Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 724-0132

I can confirm that Harrison's carries Texas Pete. I just paid $2.69 for a 12 oz bottle. It's on the wire shelving to the right of the cashier.