Famous Dave's Devil Spit clone


 
J

Justin Northcutt

New member
Hello all. I'm sorry if this is inappropriate for this forum, but I want to start down the road to making my own BBQ sauce now that I've entered into the world of the WSM. My family really likes the Devil's Spit sauce at Famous Dave's, and I'd like to start heading in that direction for a sauce (of course I intend to "make it better" on the way :)

Any help appreciated!
 
I've never had it but if no one here responds with a clone and you can give me the exact ingredient list off the bottle I can give you some ideas on how to proceed with an attempt. Might not be precise (or anywhere close!) but the process is simple and you can tweak and play as you go--and likely end up with something you really like--perhaps even more than what you're shooting for.

See this thread.
 
Famous Dave's Devil's Spit Sauce list of ingredients:

Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Tomato Paste, Distilled Vinegar,
Sugar, Mustard (Water, Vinegar, Ground Mustard Seed, Salt, Tumeric, Spice),
Worcestershire Sauce Concentrate (Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt,
Caramel Color, Garlic, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, and Natural Flavor.)
Salt, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Spices, Molasses, Honey, Soybean Oil,
Modified Food Starch, Paprika, Smoke Flavor (Barley Malt, Flour and Hickory Smoke Flavor)
Chili Pepper, Hydrolyzed Soy Protien, Natural and Artifical Flavors, Dehydrated Onion,
Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives), Lemon Juice Powder (Corn Syrup Solids,
Lemon Oil, BHT), Mustard, Bran, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Tumeric.
 
Cool!

Do you, Rusty, know the flavor profile? Or, Justin, can you give me an opinion? Tomato-y, very sweet, background heat? Sweet hits you first, not too tomato-y, fruit notes,...? Heat predominates...? Etc.
 
It starts sweet, has hint of tomato and vinegar, it's smokey, and definitely spicey (as in hot). But it's not killer hot. Just hot to notice it pretty quickly, and it lingers, but doesn't build.

I guess if you know of a recipe that seems similar I'll start there, and then tweak it.

THANKS for the help!
 
This recipe is similar to what you describe, except it's not very hot. Add more hot sauce for more heat.


Dads Barbecue Sauce

1 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon plain prepared mustard
3 tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
1 teaspoon bottled liquid smoke flavor (hickory)
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana-style red pepper sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Mix well. Simmer over low heat for 30-minutes, stirring occasionally.
 
That's a start. Let's add some procedural details for flavor development--and lets add a few missing items as well (vis-à-vis the ingredient list).

Some notes: I'm going to go with chipotle for the heat and smoke as I cannot sstand liquid smoke. If smoky enough but not hot enough add either cayenne, hot sauce (I'd recommend Frank's or Cholula here) or both. If hot enough but not smoky enough I'd go with smoked paprika but you could use liquid smoke if you prefr, a drop at a time.

Sauteing the onion first to develop flavor is one way to develop better flavor. I'll guess at the spices (listed as 'spices' in the ingredients) based on what I think likely.

Reducing at the beginning to concentrate some liquids should mimic the concentrates used in the original.

The protein, bran and starch are all for thickening. I'd suggest a straight reduction but if the flavors are right but you want it thicker I'll include a starch slurry option.

Here we go:

Mix in a tiny bowl:

1/4 t dried thyme

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t ground allspice

1/8 t ground ginger

scant 1/8 t ground clove

1/4 t granulated garlic

1/2 t granulated onion

1/2 t yellow mustard powder

Reserve.



1 T unsalted butter

1 T veg oil (neutral)

3 T minced yellow onion

1 small clove garlic, finely minced or pressed

tiny pinch salt


3 T water

2 T sugar

3 T pineapple juice

3 T Worcestershire sauce


3 T white wine or apple cider vinegar

2 t honey

1 t molasses

1 T prepared mustard (I'd use Dijon here for its fuller flavor;barring that, brown but not yellow)

1 c ketchup

1 or 2 t ground chipotle


fresh lemon juice

salt



In a medium pot over med-high heat melt the butter in the oil. When the foam subsides add the onion and the tiny pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, till the onion goes past the translucent stage and starts to lightly brown in spots, about 5 min. Add the garlic and the contents of the spice bowl, stir well, and cook just till the garlic is fragrant, about 45 seconds.

Add the water and sugar and stir well. When the sugar is completely dissolved add the pineapple juice and Worcestershire. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then cook till the liquids have reduced by half. Add the vinegar, honey and molasses and bring to a simmer again. Allow to reduce by about 1/4.

Stir in the mustard and ketchup and chipotle well. Bring just to a boil then reduce the heat to med-low and cook, partially covered, 15 min.

If you want the sauce thicker you can remove the cover and reduce further or you can make a slurry of 1 T cold water mixed well with 2 t cornstarch. Mix in well then allow to simmer just till thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat. Adjust salt. Add lemon juice, a few drops at a time, just till a little brightness is achieved. Cool then fridge. The flavors will develop further over the next several hours.
 
Kevin, thanks for the recipe. I gave it a try last night. I waited until this morning to let the flavors meld overnight. Your recipe gave me a good place to start from, and I've tweaked some things, and probably will again. Here's what I've changed:

Mix in a tiny bowl:
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t ground allspice
1/8 t ground ginger
scant 1/8 t ground clove
1/4 t granulated (used powdered) garlic
1/2 t granulated (used powdered) onion
1/2 t yellow mustard powder
Reserve.

1 T unsalted butter
1 T veg oil (neutral)
3 T minced yellow onion
1 small clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
tiny pinch salt
3 T water
2 T sugar
3 T pineapple juice
3 T Worcestershire sauce
3 T white wine or apple cider vinegar
2 t (accidentally used T) honey
1 t (accidentally used T) molasses
1 T prepared mustard (I'd use Dijon here for its fuller flavor;barring that, brown but not yellow)
1 c ketchup
1 or 2 t (used 1t chipotle powder) ground chipotle
fresh lemon juice
salt

I followed your instructions, let sit overnight, and then began to up the honey (I ended up adding ~1/3 to 1/2 cup), and cider vinegar (~1/3-1/2c) as well. It's getting close. THANKS to all for the help!
 
Justin Northcutt said:
Kevin, thanks for the recipe. I gave it a try last night. I waited until this morning to let the flavors meld overnight. Your recipe gave me a good place to start from, and I've tweaked some things, and probably will again. Here's what I've changed:

Mix in a tiny bowl:
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t ground allspice
1/8 t ground ginger
scant 1/8 t ground clove
1/4 t granulated (used powdered) garlic
1/2 t granulated (used powdered) onion
1/2 t yellow mustard powder
Reserve.

1 T unsalted butter
1 T veg oil (neutral)
3 T minced yellow onion
1 small clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
tiny pinch salt
3 T water
2 T sugar
3 T pineapple juice
3 T Worcestershire sauce
3 T white wine or apple cider vinegar
2 t (accidentally used T) honey
1 t (accidentally used T) molasses
1 T prepared mustard (I'd use Dijon here for its fuller flavor;barring that, brown but not yellow)
1 c ketchup
1 or 2 t (used 1t chipotle powder) ground chipotle
fresh lemon juice
salt

I followed your instructions, let sit overnight, and then began to up the honey (I ended up adding ~1/3 to 1/2 cup), and cider vinegar (~1/3-1/2c) as well. It's getting close. THANKS to all for the help!
Click to expand...

I know this post is old, but for the benefit of future readers, there is a prominent missing ingredient in this recipe ... CUMIN ... I don't know the proportion to use, but being a fan of the sauce (it is what I reach for everytime I eat at a Famous Dave's restaurant) there is no denying the unmistakable flavor of cumin.
 
I congratulate you on trying to develop your own sauce. I'm new to bbq and the wsm , and have just begun trying to make some of the recipes found on this site and others..it's a lot of fun. For me - the famous dave's devil's spit is absolutely fire, as the name would suggest, not at all much of a tolerable heat level. My girlfriend refused to eat the rest of her burger after a few bites with this sauce on it...it appears the original poster and his fam have a pretty high tolerance for heat!! That said, it's a pretty decent hot bbq sauce. I like the buckeye bbq sauce from quaker steak and lube a thousand times better, because there is a ton of flavor there along with the heat, whereas for me - the heat overpowers everything in devil's spit. Good luck, when you finally have it down, please post it - as I'm sure if you keep working it, it will surely surpass the spit! :)
 
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