# I tried flathead's bbq sauce recipe...



## WNCRick

It's buried in another thread, but worth it's own. It's been many years since I made it down to bridges (allston) and I always had the sauce on sandwiches with slaw, so I can't say if it's authentic to the joint or not. It is good tho. It's not what we had a lil further west, but I still like it. I did two racks of ribs with my usual dry rub, then glazed em for the last 30 mins before I took em off the smoker, the sauce married well with my usual rub as a glaze and they turned out awesome. Thumbs up there!!

I've never used that much lemon juice in a sauce but it really seemed to enhance the flavors of the rub. (I'm not big on sweet sauce so I cut the sugar a bit) I snuck it in for the pulled pork the wife ate. She immediately knew it wasn't what she was used to, but was surprised to know there was no cider vinegar in it. The lemon makes it tangy enough(that's what she likes). That much lemon really brightens all the flavors involved and the finished product has more depth IMO after cooking. 

All and all that's a real nice recipe as a diversion from the heavy assed store bought sauces that all look and taste like kraft.

Thanks for posting flathead, that recipe is a hell of a learning tool!


Going to put it to use here

Rick


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## WNCRick

here's the recipe from flathead:

Eastern, NC = vinegar based.......Western, NC = tomato based

Shelby, my hometown, best barbecue in the State at Alston Bridges and Red Bridges ( no relation )

Sauce Ingredients ( mild and sweet, good for a couple shoulders or about 20 folks) :

2 cups ketchup
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
2 tsp onion powder
1 stick butter ( no margarine)
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs Texas Pete

Red pepper....can be added to give it a kick. Start with 1/2-1 tsp and adjust to your taste as the ingredients cook.

Directions:

Put stick of butter in large pot with heat set on simmer. You want it to melt real slow to allow you time to mix the other ingredients without burning the butter,

Put ketchup and brown sugar in large mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add and stir each of the remaining ingredients separately. Put on medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble, usually about 15 minutes or so, then on simmer( or whatever your lowest setting is) for an additional 20 minutes


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## Leadsinker

Sounds good!


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## Eattheflounder

WNCRick said:


> here's the recipe from flathead:
> 
> Eastern, NC = vinegar based.......Western, NC = tomato based
> 
> Shelby, my hometown, best barbecue in the State at Alston Bridges and Red Bridges ( no relation )
> 
> Sauce Ingredients ( mild and sweet, good for a couple shoulders or about 20 folks) :
> 
> 2 cups ketchup
> 2 cups brown sugar
> 1 cup water
> 1 cup lemon juice
> 2 tsp onion powder
> 1 stick butter ( no margarine)
> 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
> 2 tbs Texas Pete
> 
> Red pepper....can be added to give it a kick. Start with 1/2-1 tsp and adjust to your taste as the ingredients cook.
> 
> Directions:
> 
> Put stick of butter in large pot with heat set on simmer. You want it to melt real slow to allow you time to mix the other ingredients without burning the butter,
> 
> Put ketchup and brown sugar in large mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add and stir each of the remaining ingredients separately. Put on medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble, usually about 15 minutes or so, then on simmer( or whatever your lowest setting is) for an additional 20 minutes


Which Bridges is the one on hwy 74 on the south side of the highway? Which Bridges is the best BBQ? I have wanted to stop in there when in Shelby but I never have. Do you really think that it is the "best" in NC?

ETF


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## WNCRick

Hopefully flathead will chime in. Personally, I've only had Allston's. It's the one on 18 (or whatever it turns into)goin south. I didn't even know there was another one till he mentioned it. Good Q there tho.

Rick


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## flathead

WNCRick....you are welcome. I kept that recipe a secret from 1989 to 2010, when I gave it to my children, nieces, and nephews for Christmas. Since you are familiar with the area I can tell you folks came from as far away as Forest City just to buy that sauce when I was cookin' shoulders for fundraisers. Doesn't take a genius to play around with the ingredients and adapt it to one's preferred tastes. And to thicken, just go with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.


ETF.......yes, we think we have the best 'Que in NC. The one south of Hwy 74 is Red Bridges Barbecue. Alston's is on Hwy 18 just north of the Cleveland Regional Medical Center. The 'Que at both is awesome and about the same at both, except Alston's is closer to a minced version while Red Bridges is coarser. I am way more partial to the tea, red slaw, and hushpuppies at Alstons and if I'm not mistaken Alston's uses lots more oak to cook while Red's uses more gas. My late Mom's favorite meal was a red Bridges 'Que sandwich with hushpuppies and my brother and I got orange crush drinks with ours. That's the only place I can remember eating out when I was a youngster.


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## Eattheflounder

I ate at the seafood place about a mile or two down 74 from Red Bridges last month. Now I wish we had gone to Bridges but we were in a hurry. We had to get to a show at the Don Gibson Theater and we were late. My bad decision. We had to eat fast. I will go out of my to visit both within the next few weeks. Thanks for the information. Is pulled pork the only option? Yes, I do understand that this is North Carolina. 

ETF


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## WNCRick

Can usually order sliced, chopped, or pulled depending on the joint, sliced is just taken off a little earlier, about 160 degrees., the rest goes to around 200, then pulled or chopped................Thanks again flathead, we all need to get together and eat some Q, and maybe fish a little.......

Rick


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## flathead

Two seafood houses on 74 back towards town, Mayflower and Kelly's, opposite sides of the road. Menu's at both "Que houses have diversified. When I was young, all you could get was 'Que , now they have hot dogs, hamburgers, and BQ chicken. Around here, they call it " chopped or sliced ". The only time I see someone ordering " sliced " is when they also order a bun to make their own sandwich. But, the one big difference is sometimes " chopped " gets fat mixed in with it whereas " sliced " doesn't or if any is attached, it can be removed.

I'll be at Don Gibson Thursday night. Travis twit is coming to town. Most expensive tickets since the theater opened. Country music lovers should have been here a couple weeks ago when we had the grand opening of the " Earl Scruggs Museum ". Earl was the creator of three finger banjo pickin' and recorded the song " The Ballad of Jed Clampet "( Beverly Hillbillies theme song), along with Lester Flatt. Country music legends here were too numerous to mention.


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## Eattheflounder

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...584160.-2207520000.1391535206.&type=3&theater

Don Gibson Theater.


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## flathead

Couldn't get that one to come up. Maybe this one ?

http://dongibsontheater.com/events/index.php/home/artist/48


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## flathead

Travis Tritt.....worth every penny of the ticket price and then some.


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