Mop Sauce

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A mop sauce is used to add moisture and flavor to your meat when you barbecue. 

This is my general purpose go-to mop. It's a little spicy with a good punch from the vinegar.

It works very well on barbecue pork and barbecue ribs. Of course you can use it on whatever you think would benefit from it's flavor profile.

If you want to know more about these barbecue basting sauces, and whether or not you need one, check out my barbecue mops page.

Things You Should Know

A few things you should know about using mops for barbecue:

  • Always keep the mop hot. This keeps the temperature of the meat from falling and kills any bacteria in the mop that may be transferred from the meat.
  • Don't baste too often. Every time you lift the lid, you lose precious heat and time. Also, when the meat is wet, the surface temperature is cooler, like when you sweat to cool down. This happens to your meat as well. A cooler surface temperature means a longer cook. 
  • Let the mop evaporate before applying more. You don't want the meat to be wet the whole time you're cooking it. It will take longer to cook and will not develop a bark.
  • Don't use a mop on poultry that has the skin on it. The skin will be chewy and gummy. Only use a mop on poultry that has had the skin removed.
  • Using a mop (See picture below) will help you work faster. This mop holds plenty of liquid so you can baste quickly, close the lid and get back to cooking.

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Mop Sauce Recipe

This barbecue basting sauce goes exceptionally well on pork, ribs, chicken and turkey.

  • 2 Cups cider vinegar
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1/2 Cup barbecue rub (Use the same rub that you used for your meat)
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Combine all ingredients in a medium, non reactive, saucepan.

Heat over medium to medium low heat. Stir occasionally until the salt and sugar are dissolved.

You can put any leftover mop in the refrigerator, in a covered, non-reactive container and use it for your next barbecue.

Because of the high acid content, (the vinegar in this recipe), this sauce will keep in the fridge for many months.

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