Add Some Barbecue Sauce to Your Vinaigrette
Whether you prefer the vinegar-based spicy Carolina sauce or the thicker, sweeter, redder dish, barbecue sauce (or “barbecue sauce” if you’re a writer) tastes like summer. Nearly every seasoning variation is complex and balanced – perfect for pickling, basting, and finishing.
It’s also a great ingredient for vinaigrette.
In addition to the (obvious) aliquot of butter, good vinaigrettes have a few things in common: high acid levels , slightly more sugar than you need , and an emulsifier. Store-bought barbecue sauce contains all of this, plus a whole host of spices and other flavorings, which means you only need two additional ingredients to turn it into a summer salad dressing: oil and vinegar.
The amount of vinegar needed for dressing will depend on how acidic your sauce is. The aforementioned Carolina sauce, for example, will require less moisture than Memphis-style sauce. There isn’t really a barbecue in Oregon, so I grabbed Sweet Baby Ray (my favorite sweet sauce from the grocery store) to make my own. (Spoiler alert: It was surprisingly difficult and very, very good.)
Use something neutral for the oil, such as grape seeds or simple vegetables, as olive oil can interfere. For acid, use apple cider vinegar. It is fruity and vibrant, and complements, but does not detract from, the flavor profile of your sauce.
To prepare this dressing you will need:
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
Put everything in a jar and shake to mix. If your sauce is sour, start with two tablespoons of vinegar and add more as needed. Try and adjust if necessary with more sauce or vinegar. Your dressing should be tart – too tart to be spoon-eaten – but also hot on vegetables. Once you reach that flavor point, drizzle it over a large pile of fried vegetables, a salad high in corn, or anything that calls for an aggressive summer flavor.