Alabama White BBQ Sauce and The Origins of Barbeque

The Origins of BBQ & Doug’s Favorite BBQ Recipes

dougs bbq colorado bbq arapahoecafe

In lieu of missing National BBQ Month in May due to COVID-19 concerns, here are the origins of BBQ from Doug along with not 1 but 2 recipes to add to your summer bbq recipes.

HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU SPELL BBQ?

BBQ. Barbeque. Bar B Que. Que. Que so good it makes your big toe wiggle!

There’s one thing we know for sure, no matter the spelling, we love BBQ and it is Doug’s favorite thing to make. Here are some BBQ facts Doug wants to share:

  • The origins of the name came from a Caribbean Indian tribe called the Taino.

  • BBQ in earlier years was used to bring people together for social gatherings and political rallies.

  • There is a big difference between grilling and BBQ. BBQ is not a cooking burgers, hot dogs and brats on the grill. But smoking meats low and slow using hardwood smoke.

  • The types of woods you can use for BBQ are: oak, hickory and all other fruit woods like pecan, maple, and mesquite.

Doug’s Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Based on Big Bob Gibsons White Sauce

This is a very regional BBQ sauce Northern Alabama made famous by Big Bob Gibson of Decatur, Alabama. Delicious on poultry and pork. This is our version.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mayo

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 2 tsp black pepper

  • 1/4 tsp granulated sugar

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • You can also add 1 tablespoon horseradish or sour cream to tone down the vinegar!

Instructions:

  1. Mix well.

  2. Store in the refrigerator.

Doug’s All-Purpose Dry Rub

We love this Dry rub for at-home cooking. It is not the rub we use at the Arapahoe Cafe as some of those ingredients are not commonly available and we like to keep it secret. You can adjust any of the quantities to your liking!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 4 tablespoons smoked paprika

  • 2 tablespoons pure chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic

  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon white sugar

  • 1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper

Instructions:

  1. Mix all together

  2. Rub on your favorite meats. Store in a cool dry place.

A book Doug recommends for your bookshelf is “The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbeque” from the American Test Kitchen Folks. Check it out!

Sauce, Comfort Food, BlogLeah Rybakbbq month, bbq