Fat Johnny's Bastardized Piedmont Sauce


 
Not any that wasn't already there in the first place.

Home freezers freeze relatively slowly. Water in the food crystallizes* during freezing. Some of the water crystals become apparent on the surface and, during thawing, thaw first, forming pools of water. But mixing well after thawing reincorporates the water and all is well.

To minimize surface moisture crystallization make sure the sauce is well chilled first, before freezing. (For food safety reasons foods should not be cooled in the fridge or freezer.)
Vac-packing sauces in bags or even using Ziplocs with as much airspace removed as possible before sealing also minimizes surface moisture crystallization, especially if the bag(s) is laid flat in the freezer, because freezing is faster.


Kevin

* Water crystallizes throughout the food item being frozen during freezing. The large crystals created during slower freezing can do damage to solids - especially delicate tissue, like that of many fishes and sea foods - because they can make micro-cuts in surrounding flesh. The flesh then becomes less able to hold moisture and during thawing and subsequent cooking more moisture is lost and the item seems drier.

Commercial freezers, known as blast freezers, freeze very fast, making the water crystals much, much smaller and thus less likely to damage surrounding solids. They thaw better and cook better.
 
so i'm about to do my maiden voyage on the wsm , and i needed a good sauce to finish my ribs. all the raves on fat johnnys i decided to give it a shot with a few changes. i had to tone the heat down for the wife- she has one of those yankee palets ya know ! and try to make it a little thicker. here's what i changed, any thoughts ?

instead of 1 qt of vinegar i used 1 and a half cups thinking it would be thicker.
left out the chipotle powder.
added a tbs of garlic powder.
added a tbs of sesame oil-gives it just a hint of asian.

seems as the heat is about perfect , just enough tang and a little thicker. we'll see how the finished product works with the ribs. you know what they say about a happy wife !
 
If I wanted to make this sauce from scratch without using a bottled sauce can someone point me in the direction to try making this?

thanks
Ken
 
Sure. Make something like this (you could skip the pineapple but I wouldn't), then follow the recipe, using about 1.5 c of the sauce you made and cutting the vin in the FJ recipe to 3 c. Make the other additions deliberatively, using 1/2-3/4 the amounts called for then making adjustments from there if needed. Add more vin or more sauce to adjust consistency.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
Sure. Make something like this (you could skip the pineapple but I wouldn't), then follow the recipe, using about 1.5 c of the sauce you made and cutting the vin in the FJ recipe to 3 c. Make the other additions deliberatively, using 1/2-3/4 the amounts called for then making adjustments from there if needed. Add more vin or more sauce to adjust consistency.
Click to expand...

Kevin,
your recipe calls for Aleppo(sp?)pepper. I don't have that but have dried cascabels, ancho, mild New Mexico, hot New Mexico, and chipotles. Which one would be closet to the Aleppo?

thanks
Ken
 
None would be that close. Aleppo is like crushed red without the seeds, with a deeper color, moister consistency, with somewhat sour fruity chile flavor and some heat. Use the cascabel. There's enough fruit/sour going on and you'll be adding chipotle anyway.

Do get some at some point. Great in many rubs and sauce, in scrambled eggs or on deviled eggs, on shrimp, on pizza... . I go through a lot of it.
 
I finally go around to making this did. Did a half batch. It is quite the deceiving recipe. Samplin it on a spoon, I did not expect it be so hot, and in re-reading the past post, I see others found it that way too. I almost wasn't going to use it :(

But I have to add, it tastes way better on a PP sami, than from the spoon. I will make again!
 
Keri, Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I have been meaning to thank you for years. This is absolutely THE BEST sauce you will ever use for pulled pork. IMHO ;-)

I have never served this without getting rave reviews and people begging for the recipe or for some sauce to take home. I have made this recipe hundreds of times and still marvel at the results. I would also like to add that the sauce is great just as posted, but like everyone I know, over the years I just had to fiddle with it some.... I finally have it exactly how I like it, you might consider trying my mods: I reduced the vinegar to 3/4 quart (3 cups); I reduced the red pepper flakes by one half to 1/2 T; I reduced the salt by 1/2 to 1 T. I also bring to a very low simmer and then reduce heat to let the sauce "reduce" just a bit.

I have to add for the benefit of those who may be new to Carolina style red sauce. Sauces are not made to drink; the real test for a sauce is how it tastes on the meat. Don't dismiss this sauce because of how it tastes with a spoon. (though I like it ..... LOL) This sauce will take your pulled pork to a whole new level.

Although I have never met chef "Chez" John Eddy of Topeka, KS.; I wish I had. I will forever be indebted to him. He has given me the reputation for making the best bbq my friends have ever eaten.... THANK YOU CHEZ
 
I made this and it is awesome! Thank you for the recipe. I followed someone's advice and reduced the cider vinegar a bit...
 
*Bump*

This is, indeed, quite a sauce.

My wife is from down east, near Fayetteville, and this sauce if very close to what she grew up on.

We made one exception to the batch, though, and substituted Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet instead of Sweet Baby Ray's. Unlike Sweet Baby Ray's sauce, Sticky Fingers sauce has no high fructose corn syrup and is a certified Kosher product.

I also have their mustard-based sauce (mustard-based sauce is popular in the lowlands of South Carolina between Columbia and Charleston), but I haven't opened it yet.
 
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