While I was born in the great state of Texas, I spent most of my first decade in Columbus, GA, where my mom's family is from. There, my grandfather was the "outdoor cooker" while my grandmother or my mom ruled the kitchen. The family was partial to a local brand of sauce called Foy's, made by Dodd Foods.
It was mustard based, not too much sweetness, and a bit thin. It caramelized nicely on grilled ribs or sausage, but definitely was more of a basting sauce than a dipping sauce.
Now the 2018 "me" ... I like thicker sauces with bolder flavors. That being said, a good mustard based sauce for pork or sausage does bring back sense memories from childhood. For a Labor Day cook this year, I decided to revisit an old recipe I'd made and tinker with it. Behold, The Georgia Gold Sauce:
GEORGIA GOLD BBQ SAUCE- 2 Cups of French's Honey Mustard
- 1 Cup of French's Honey Dijon Mustard
- 1 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Cup of Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup of White Sugar
- 1/2 Cup of Apple Juice
- 1/4 Cup of Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp. of Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp. of Onion Powder
- 2 Tbsp. of Ground Mustard
- 2 Tbsp. of Black Pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 Tbsp. of Cumin
- 1 Tbsp. of Ground Thyme
- 1 Tbsp. of Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp. of Chicken Base (Better Than Bouillon)
- Combine all the wet ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. I usually pour some of the vinegar or apple juice into the mustard bottles to get the last bit out more easily.
- Then, incorporate the dry ingredients and whisk.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors marry.
- The recipe will make 7-8 cups, depending on how much you reduce it.This goes super well with any pork dish; I made this as one of two sauces (the other being Raspberry-Chipotle) for pulled pork sliders, served on King's Hawaiian Rolls with half-sour pickle slices and an optional slaw.
