North Carolina-Style Apple Barbecue Sauce

Based on the famous 'Lexington Dip' sauce of North Carolina barbecue, this barbecue table sauce combines tart apples, brown sugar caramel and a sharp kick of apple cider vinegar.

North Carolina barbecue, like many American barbecue styles, is characterised by even further into more distinct, local barbecue styles. North Carolina barbecue is polarised by ‘Eastern NC-style’ barbecue and ‘Lexington NC-style’ barbecue (sometimes called ‘Piedmont NC-style’). Recipes for barbecue sauces in this region, like many others across American barbecue, vary widely and even vary by town. The key features of Lexington-style barbecue’s famous ‘dip’ sauce are sweet apples, brown sugar, a hint of spice and plenty of apple cider vinegar. The acidity of the sauce compliments many of the richer barbecue cuts, especially pork, and is great as a beginners barbecue sauce. I also build some bitter, smokehouse-reminiscent notes in the sauce by cooking the brown sugar to a smoke-whispering caramel that prevents the sauce from tasting too sweet - just pure complexity. Try it on pulled pork sandwiches or as a wet rib glaze - phenomenal! Let’s go!