Asian & Mustard Barbecue Sauces

Jason smoked an eight pound pork shoulder over the weekend and made four different barbecue sauces to go with it. I was high on pork and it felt like I fell in love with him all over again. All the sauces were fantastic, but the stars of the day were the Asian and mustard sauces. They were so incredibly delicious and unique additions to the standard barbecue sauce selections. Make a bunch of different kinds and have yourself a saucy smorgasbord. YUM.

Asian Barbecue Sauce
Recipe from www.epicurious.com

6 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup minced shallot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/3 cup sugar

Stir together all ingredients except sugar in a bowl.

Cook sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in hoisin mixture (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Serve with shrimp, swordfish, pork, or chicken.

Meathead's Grown Up Mustard Sauce
Recipe from Meathead on www.amazingribs.com


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onions, finely minced
3 tablespoons sweet red pepper, finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoons ground celery seed (not celery salt)
1 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoons hot pepper flakes for mild sauce
1 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole dried rosemary leaves crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 cups prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules or 1 cube dissolved in 1 ounce of water

1) Put the oil into a quart sauce pan, and warm it on a medium-low heat. Add the onion and sweet red peppers and sweat them until the onions are limp. Add the garlic and cook it for about a minute.

2) Add the dry ingredients except the sugar. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes in order to develop and extract their flavors.

3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a low boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the sugar from burning or sticking to the bottom. Simmer on low for another 15 minutes.