5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce Recipes

By
Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
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Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: August 08, 2023
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Also known as bastes or basting sauce, the mop sauce is like a secret ingredient in your BBQ. They form an essential part of the barbecue and come with several nice uses. For one, these sauces will ensure that your meat and grilled food is moist. It also works to improve the flavor of the food as you cook. With this in mind, it is not surprising that there are several recipes available. In this post, we will highlight the best recipes that you can use for your BBQ. Apart from the sauce Trusted Source Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs and chicken. It is a ubiquitous condiment in the Southern United States and is used on many other foods as well. en.m.wikipedia.org , there are other important things to consider when making BBQ. A cookbook comes in very handy, as well as a grill. You might also find a BBQ rub essential.

The mop is included in your BBQ during the smoking of the meat, either it is added when the meat is on the grill or in the smoker. To get the best, there is a special way to add the sauce to the meat. The method of application is part of what we will consider in this article.

What is the Mop Sauce?

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesBefore we talk about the different recipes and the best recipes, we will first consider what the sauce is.

Have you ever seen a pitmaster at work? You might have noticed them mopping the meats as these are cooking. We will discuss what they are doing and why it is important.

In simple terms, this is exactly what the name implies. It is a type of thin sauce that is applied to the meat as you cook it. To apply it, a small mop is used. According to most reviews, the 18-Inch Grill Basting Mop from Miso is one of the most reliable options that you can find on the market. If that is not available, some masters use a tiny brush to add the sauce.

The sauce is an essential part of BBQ culture. It is used in pork, ribs, and several other cuts of meat. It is also used when cooking the whole hog.

However, when it is used in such a situation, you have the entire hog covered in butter and cooked over embers that have been burned down.

The sauce is created in a large pail and the mop is used to spread the sauce all over the body of the hog. This makes it easier and faster.


What is the sauce made of?

Well, the mop sauce is made of different things, depending on the recipe. Some of the things that you might find in the sauce include cider vinegar, beer, or thin liquids with spices added.

As we will see in the recipes, some sauces are made up of just 2 ingredients while others have up to 20 different ingredients.

Importance of the Mop Sauce

Many pitmasters swear that using a sauce is essential, but when asked why they believe so, they come up stumped. Well, in this section we will discuss some of the vital reasons to have the mop sauce handy when making BBQ.

Flavor

Perhaps the most important thing that you need to know about what the sauce adds is the flavor. The best and first reason to use the sauce is to boost the taste of the BBQ. It adds another layer of taste to the meat you are cooking. Getting the right recipe is important as it can boost the taste of the meat.

Bark

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesIf you love your meat with some bark, then you will likely love using a mop. A mop with plenty of sugar or a similar ingredient can help to create a bark on the meat’s body.

Smoke

By using a mop sauce, you can have smokier meat. Why? Well, the smoke sticks to the wet surface created by the mop sauce, therefore, more smoke will be on your meat.

Disadvantages

Are there any issues that might arise from using mop sauce? Yes. Let’s see some of them.

Removes Flavor

We bet you are a tad confused right now, considering how we said the mop sauce adds flavor. Well, while it can add flavor, adding too much of the sauce can cause the dry rub applied before cooking to be removed.

Lengthens cook time

When you add mop sauce, you will cause the temperature on your meat to drop, which can make the meat take longer to cook.

Types of Mop Sauce

Now that we have considered the importance and drawbacks of sauce, let’s see the best types.

Texas Style Coffee Mop Sauce

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesThis is a type of sauce that you will love when used with beef brisket. It is excellent for almost every large cut of beef. The taste is great as it comes with a sweet but peppery taste. There are several advantages to it. First, it will have the meat moist. It also will cause a sweet bark on the meats’ surface.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of dark coffee
  • 1 cup of Catsup
  • ¼ cup of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • A full tablespoon of fresh black pepper
  • ½ cup of Worcestershire sauce

How to Make It

Get all your ingredients in one place, then combine them inside a saucepan. Once there, put it on heat and allow for simmering for up to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove it and apply it to the BBQ. As another option, you can leave it to thicken and have it as a side plate.

Beer Mopping Sauce

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesThis is one of the most unique sauces. To create it, you need around 12 ounces of beer! While that might seem much, the end product is certainly worth it.

Since it is mainly made with beer, it is one of the options that allow you to experiment and get the best from different types of meats.

It is a good way to delve into the use of beer mops. Once you know how to use this mop sauce, you can always experiment and add so many other flavors.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces of beer
  • ½ cup of cider vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • A tablespoon of brisket seasoning
  • ½ cup of corn oil
  • ½ cup of water

How to Make It

Making this is simple. After you get all the ingredients, mix them, then cook it until it becomes one sauce.

To get the best from this sauce, you have to prepare one day earlier so that all the ingredients can unify in the sauce.

Carolina Mop Sauce

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesNext is an excellent combination of hot sauce and vinegar. Due to the combination, you get a spicy sauce that also has a vinegar taste. It will taste incredible on a hog or smoked shoulder. As with other sauces, it is best applied as you cook the meat. It also serves best when you cook to cool.

Ingredients:

  • A cup of cider vinegar
  • ½ cup of hot water
  • A cup of white vinegar
  • A tablespoon of garlic powder
  • A tablespoon of dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • ½ tablespoon of salt
  • A tablespoon of hot sauce

How to make it

Mix the brown sugar and hot water till it dissolves. Add the other ingredients and mix. Then rub the mixture on the meat once in one hour as it cooks.

Memphis Mop Sauce

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesRibs are the king in Memphis, and this sauce makes the best sauce to get the best flavor from the meat.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
  • A cup of water
  • ¼ cup of Memphis rub

How to make it

After you get all the ingredients, put everything in a bucket or jar and mix thoroughly. As you use it, ensure that you shake it as it will settle over time. Using the mop is easy. Just apply it to the meat twice every hour with 30 minutes intervals. In the end, you have a rib that is wonderful to taste.

BBQ Georgia Red Mop

5 Best BBQ Mop Sauce RecipesAnother type of mop sauce, one that as the name implies is used in Georgia is this particular option. It gives a sweet taste, with a dash of sourness, which is all a result of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • A cup of ketchup
  • ½ cup of cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce
  • A teaspoon of chili powder
  • Some hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of hot mustard
  • ½ cup of light brown sugar

How to Make It

To make it, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. When it has a slight boil, simmer for 10 minutes then switch off the heat. Add to the cooking meat.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has opened your eyes to some of the best mop sauce recipes that you can make. Many people have their favorite sauce, but we have discovered that these we have mentioned are some of the most preferred. You can discover even more recipes in the Cookbook from Steven Raichlen. We hope this post helps you to get even more out of your BBQ.

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