Sauce Problem

[Guest]

I've been reading this site for quite a while but have never had a reason to post, just thought I'd start by saying I enjoy it and appreciate all the info on here.

To my story, my brother and I have been working on a sauce for a while now. It starts with onion, butter and brown sugar. Once that has cooked down we add in a number of standard BBQ sauce ingredients (if we ever actually finish the thing I'll post it someday).

The problem is since we start with butter, we can't store the sauce, it separates. Its not really a problem we usually make a pretty small batch and it all gets used.

The advice I need though is do any of you make sauces you can store? If so what do you use as an emulsifier? Thanks for the fancy term Alton Brown

We do cook it some but I hesitate to use eggs, I'm not sure that we cook the sauce long enough for egg to be safe. I know there are just commercials ones you can buy, but adding unnecessary chemicals seems...well unnecessary, although I'm not against it if that's the way to go. Mustard? I assume though that you would end of tasting the mustard in the sauce?

Thanks for the help!

Matt

 

[Chris Allingham]

Moving to Barbecuing Forum, as this post is not a sauce recipe.

Regards,
Chris

 

[David Lohrentz]

What is the overall flavor and style of sauce that you are aiming for?

What are the key components of your sauce?

 

[John Mason]

Could you use Soy Protein Concentrate or another form of Lecithin as an emulsifier?

 

[Russ Hazzon]

Personally I would change the order in which the ingredients are added. Butter can be used to carmelize the onions, but I would use it sparingly and wouldn't add the sugar until later. Adding the sugar with the butter causes the sugar to carmelize. The end result is very different from using it as a sweetener for the sauce.

Fats are not normally used in any significant proportions with most bbq sauces I've worked with. Once exception here is a white BBQ sauce (think Chris Lily) which uses a good serving of mayo.

Still, there is always room for something new! If I'm off-base here and these are in fact your intentions then I can't help much. I do wish you luck though. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Guest]

Actually caramelized onion is the goal. In fact to answer another question, that is the basic flavor of the sauce.

I know its probably an unusual BBQ sauce, in fact maybe no even technically a BBQ sauce, but we made caramelized onions one night and put them on burgers (delicious by the way). That gave us the idea to try to base a sauce off of them. We cook the onions down almost to a mush and then put them in a food processor. Then they and the butter/sugar mix are the base of the sauce.

Other than that we just use pretty basic BBQ sauce ingredients. Ketchup, liquid smoke, etc.

I'll try a few of the suggestions listed here or if anyone else has any others I'd appreciate them too. I guess I could try making a more standard BBQ sauce and then adding the caramelized onions last as well?

Again thanks.

 

[K Kruger]

I use caramelized onion as a base for many sauces, barbecue sauces included. And I always use fats--butter, oil or both--plus the fats that are natural to the drippings I add at the end. Many flavors are only fat soluble and, besides, what isn't improved by butter?

Are you pureeing again after the sauce is finished?

Are you using any other solids other than the onions (which you puree)?

Any mustard?

What is the desired finish consistency? As thick as ketchup? Thicker?

What are you using to puree with?

How much butter are you using to what quantity of onion?

It shouldn't be a problem to figure out the issue if you can provide the above info.

Sidebar that has nothig to do with emulsification: Are you using regular yellow onions? At what point are you adding the sugar? Onions will caramelize on their own though you can certainly use sugar (after thorough sweating/evaporation) to speed it along. I'd suggest using a little white sugar though, then if the additional flavor/sweetness of brown sugar is desired, adding that later in the process.

If you're not marriedto the LS option for adding smoke flavor consider smoked paprika alone or, if also adding heat anyway, with some chipotle mixed in as well. They'll add body as well, helpful for emulsification purposes.

You should be able to avoid adding stabilizers to acheive emulsification--my preference in these circumstances--but this depends on ingredients and overall desired finish. When I do use them I tend to lean toward natural gums.