Review: KC Masterpiece Southern-Style BBQ Sauce
So recently I got an e-mail that I had been selected to receive a free sample of KC Masterpiece’s newest BBQ sauce, Southern-Style. I don’t know what the selection process was but I am satisfied with the result, free stuff.
So I know what you may be asking, “Isn’t all barbecue sauce Southern?” The answer, of course, is yes. All barbecue is, at its heart, Southern but other areas have put their unique regional spin on it led of course by the folks in Kansas City. In fact, the Kansas City style of sauce – tomato-based, sweet, smokey with a touch of spice – is what most people think of when they think of BBQ sauce.
There are literally hundreds of brands of BBQ sauce in the US however more than half of what is sold in stores carries the KC Masterpiece label. The newest addition to the KC Masterpiece line is the Southern-Style which is essentially an homage to Memphis BBQ.
This sauce is still, at its roots, a Kansas City sauce but in Memphis the sauce is a little thinner, contains less sugar and more cider vinegar than its Midwestern cousin. From a personal standpoint I have grown to prefer the Memphis version over the years. I like a more acidic, less sweet sauce.
I have to admit that the KC Masterpiece Southern-Style is pretty darned good. It has the tangy notes and bit of fire that I appreciate from the Memphis sauce when eating it on pork ribs or chicken. For beef I still go for the standard KC style as I like the smokey sweetness better with beef.
I do have one complaint with KC Masterpiece Southern-Style BBQ Sauce but it’s the same complaint I have with most commercial sauces – High Fructose Corn Syrup. I know it’s cheaper than sugar but it’s also much worse for you, too. It’s the main reason I tend to make my sauce from scratch. I would gladly pay a little extra for sauce made with cane sugar but I’m sure it is not a big deal to most people. If HFCS isn’t an issue for you then you should have no reservations about trying this tasty new sauce. In fact, even if it is an issue you should try a bottle; sometimes you have to dance with the devil.
Going Coastal Recipe: Texas Smokehouse Soup
According to legend, Brunswick Stew was first created in Brunswick Bounty, Virginia in the 1820’s. The original recipe varies vastly from the contemporary. That first stew was made with squirrel, stale bread and butter while today’s stew is made using potatoes, chicken and corn. It is the perfect day-after recipe for that weekend cookout as it’s prime ingredients are usually leftovers. This is why it is a staple at BBQ joints from Charlotte to Tulsa.
When I ran the kitchen at Mars Hill Cafe I did a variation on a theme with Brunswick Stew that replaced the chicken with brisket, smoked sausage and smoked turkey meat or pulled pork, replaced the potatoes with kidney beans and replaced the corn with Cajun trinity (onions, celery and bell pepper). Too add to the BBQiness of the soup I use BBQ sauce in the broth. Since BBQ along the Third Coast tends towards walking meat as to flying meat this recipe is better matched to our lifestyle. The beauty of this soup is that you can use any smoked/grilled meat – chicken, turkey, brisket, beef ribs, steak, ham, pork ribs, chops, pulled pork and even leftover burgers. You’ll find the recipe is a perfect use of Fourth of July leftovers. Happy July 4th!
Texas Smokehouse Soup
4 ounces diced smoked sausage
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion,chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 ounces diced smoked brisket or beef rib meat
4 ounces chopped smoked turkey and/or 4 ounces pulled pork
2 quarts beef broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 15-ounce can kidney or pinto beans
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup BBQ sauce; adjust for taste
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
In a large soup pot render the sausage over medium heat until browned. Add the trinity (onions, celery & bell pepper) and sauté for roughly five minutes or just until soft. Then add remaining meats and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in half of the beef broth, the diced tomatoes, the beans, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder then simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in half the tomato paste, the BBQ sauce, liquid smoke (if using), Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste! If the soup is too thick add some of the remaining beef broth. If the soup is too thin add more tomato paste. Serve with Texas toast.
