This one goes out to my buddy, LeeAnn, who has been waiting very patiently- with some ribs at the ready- for this sauce. Mustard-based BBQ sauce (oft referred to as Carolina BBQ sauce or Carolina Gold sauce) originates in the little belt from Columbia to Charleson, South Carolina, although many a Georgian (and this Floridian!) has been known to appreciate it.
Carolina-style sauce can vary a bit in what’s in it, as well as how spicy or sweet it is, but the basics are gonna be a lot of yellow mustard and vinegar, and usually some measure of brown sugar. This particular sauce is, as it says in the title, a bit spicy, with a full body of mustard and vinegar at the front, and a nice bit of sweet to round it out on the back end. My secret ingredients that give this ketofied version its distinct flavor are Swerve Brown, which has a really rich, almost graham taste to it, and something that’s a bit out of the ordinary for Southern cuisine: chili garlic paste. You can usually find it in pretty large jars in the Asian cooking section of the grocery store.
This type of sauce is, by far, my favorite for BBQ, and is a huge hit in my home. I’ve been known to straighten up put plain yellow mustard on my brisket and wolf it down, so for me, this one is quite the treat. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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Spicy Mustard BBQ Sauce
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Cook Time: 5 minutes
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Total Time: 10 minutes
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Yield: Approx. 1 cup (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) sauce
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Category: BBQ, sauce, mustard, southern
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Southern
Description
Minus fiber and 1.5 g sugar alcohol =
0.4 g NET carbs per tbsp
Ingredients
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz/ 118 ml) prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz/ 118 ml) cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp (approx. 1 oz/ 28 g) packed brown sugar sweetener (I recommend Swerve Brown)
- 1 tbsp (1/2 oz/ 14 g) salted butter
- 1 tbsp (1/2 oz/ 14 g) chili garlic paste
- 1 tsp sugar free liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat all ingredients over medium heat, whisking together until the butter melts and it comes to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook at a simmer an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let stand to cool before transferring to a mason jar.
- If not using immediately, put the lid on and store in the fridge. Use as desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 14
- Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.2 g (see Description for NET carbs)
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
Keywords: Carolina gold, Carolina sauce, mustard sauce, mustard vinegar, spicy mustard
Could I sub Lakanto Maple Syrup for the extract?
I’d probably just leave it out altogether. I doubt the syrup is concentrated enough to give quite the same flavor.
This was too vinegary for my wife’s taste. I toned it down after the fact by adding more Brown Sugar Swerve and a teaspoon of baking soda. Just watch out for when you add the baking soda or it will overflow the sauce pan!