Tag Archives: smoky

Memphis Style Triple-S Barbecue Sauce

Memphis Triple-S Barbecue Sauce

This is my favorite style of barbecue sauce as it has all the elements I like in a barbecue sauce:  sweetness, smokiness and some spice.  Once you find a good sauce recipe it’s easy to modify by adding or eliminating flavors to come up with a completely new sauce.  Common add-ins are liquor and beer, different chiles, different sweeteners like honey or sugar, dried herbs, citrus flavors via juice and zest and even more exotic flavors like tamarind and chocolate.  Honey and chipotle is one of the more common variations seen these days so don’t be afraid to try something new.  Just remember that sugar will burn so if your sauce is really sweet don’t use a lot of it until the end or better yet use it only for dressing and dipping.

The wet:

  • 4 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup cola (Coke, Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper)
  • 1/4 cup steak sauce
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons molasses (robust if available)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco, Cholula, Tapatio)
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

The dry:

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons bbq rub
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoons lemon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

First, combine all the wet ingredients in a large saucepan and slowly bring to a low boil over medium heat.  Too hot too fast will scorch the sugars and you cannot fix that.  If that happens throw it out and start over.  You will thank me later.

Second, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.

Third, reduce the heat on the saucepan and stir in the dry ingredients.  Let your sauce simmer on low for 30 minutes or so to thicken it up and concentrate all those flavors.  The sauce will also thicken once it cools down so don’t over cook it.  Whatever sauce you don’t use just transfer to a jar and refrigerate where it will keep for about 30 days.