Inland from the coast in North and South Carolina, in the Piedmont or hill country, small amounts of ketchup and sugar were added to the simple Low Country Mop-Sauce. The debate over whether ketchup belongs in barbecue sauce has caused many a shouting match and even stirred a raucous debate in the North Carolina legislature. Some recipes omit the sugar, but I think it rounds out the flavor. The apple juice is not standard, but it came from my favorite East Carolina sauce, George's, made in Nashville. It really adds depth. To be authentic, leave it out. To be delicious, leave it in.

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for two big slabs.
Preparation time: About 30 minutes.

Ingredients
1 cup distilled vinegar (do not use cider vinegar)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Do this
1) Whisk together all the ingredients and let them sit for at least three hours to allow the flavors to meld. Overnight is better. A week is best. Mop it on the meat with a basting brush once every hour while cooking. A good silicon brush is best. It holds lots of fluid and is easy to clean. A lot of places still use mini string mops, but I think these are to hard to clean and potential cources of food poisoning.

2) Before serving, take the remaining mop and boil it to sterilize it. With a clean brush, to prevent contamination by a brush used on uncooked meat, mop the meat one last time. Serve the sauce in a cruet on the side so your guests can drizzle on more if they wish.

This page revised 7/25/07