Our friends from across the pond are looking for UK contestants for a BBQ sauce contest in Austin, Texas.

Do you have a winning BBQ sauce recipe?

Drew Thornley from the Man Up Texas BBQ blog, sent us an email to say that the annual Gettin Sauced! competition is now busting out of Texas and going international.

If you have a secret BBQ sauce recipe ready to challenge the legendary Texas barbecue masters, visit the Gettin’ Sauced! website and fill out an entry form.

Before you bottle and post your BBQ sauce here are a few things you should know:

• Allegedly, Texas is a place where they barbecue everything, except ice cream.

• In Texas everyone owns a barbecue, from oil barons to hobos.

• Beef brisket is the meat of choice for an authentic Texan BBQ.

• Texans use ‘BBQ rubs’ to flavour the meat before cooking, sauce is added after cooking.

• The original Texas BBQ sauce should be tomato-based with a spicy sweet flavour.

If you want to master your BBQ cooking skills this summer, check out the fantastic range of gas and charcoal barbecues at Dobbies.com.

Download the Dobbies.com Barbecues Guide

Download this free Barbecues Guide from Dobbies.com to learn absolutely everything you need to know about barbecues, just in time for the great British summer.

Find out the essentials of barbecue safety, including how to ensure children stay out of harm’s way and a comprehensive checklist of important precautionary measures.

Discover which barbecue is right for you in our superb buyers guide, with detailed advice on gas, charcoal, chimenea and portable barbecues, as well as recommendations about the best barbecue accessories available on the market.

And most importantly, enjoy the fruits of your labour with our exciting menu of delicious barbecue recipes, from old favourites such as BBQ ribs and BBQ chicken to more exotic ideas such as Tuscan Trout. We’ve also included a number of tasty vegetarian dishes to ensure everyone is catered for at your Dobbies inspired barbecue.

Click here to download the Dobbies.com Barbecues Guide (PDF)

A delicious barbecue sauce isn't difficult to make

Homemade barbecue sauce is not only great for your favourite cuts of meat on the barbecue, but you can have it handy for dipping other snacks such as chicken fingers or chips.

A basic BBQ sauce recipe starts out with complementary flavours of sweet sugar and sour vinegar. From here, some spice is added to give the sauce some extra tang.

So it’s an easy condiment to make at home – all you’ll need are a few basic ingredients and some time and patience. And homemade barbecue sauce is a great alternative to expensive bottled varieties from the shops.

The basic ingredients for a good barbecue sauce include tomatoes (tomato sauce and tomato paste, but some recipes call for ketchup), brown sugar or honey for sweetness, vinegar, minced onions, crushed garlic, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.

Optional ingredients commonly found in some speciality barbecue sauces include whiskey or bourbon, hot pepper such as cayenne, and sometimes cinnamon or clove.

Basic barbecue sauce ingredients

1 small (8oz can) tomato sauce
1 small (6oz can) tomato paste
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
Cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste

For a simple barbecue sauce recipe suitable for anything from chicken to barbecue pork ribs, start off with one small can of tomato paste and combine with one small can of tomato sauce and stir to combine in a bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic until translucent. Stir in vinegar and allow to reduce for two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.

Allow to come up to a slight simmer. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. At this point the barbecue sauce is ready to use; however, you could puree all this in a blender to produce a thicker uniform consistency.

Marinade or seasoning – it’s up to you

Your barbecue sauce can be used as a marinade and brushed onto meat while cooking. The sugars drawn out from the tomatoes in addition to the added brown sugar will help create a caramelized crust from the high heat of your grill.

Other equally tasty variations include a honey barbecue sauce (simply substitute the sugar for honey). For a mesquite sauce, look for an ingredient called ‘liquid smoke’ which is made by filtering the smoke produced by burning mesquite wood chips through water to collect the essence.

You can add this rich liquid to your sauce to infuse it with deep smoky mesquite flavour. Another variation is to substitute your favourite whiskey or bourbon in place of or addition to the vinegar to add a tangy richness. While cooking, the alcohol content will burn off, making this type of sauce appropriate for all ages.

Spice it up

As for spice, almost anything goes. Cayenne and black pepper usually provide an adequate amount of heat without overpowering the overall flavour. For more intense heat, add ingredients such as smoked chipotle peppers, jalapenos, or for the most intense heat possible, add habanero, also known as scotch bonnet peppers. If using fresh peppers, chop and sweat these with the onions and garlic. If using dried peppers, toast these over an open flame until fragrant, and grind to a powder using a blender or spice mill and add your desired amount to the sauce.

Chinese Hoisin sauce, made with soya beans and a type of Chinese sweet potato, makes an excellent barbecue sauce for chicken or meat.

A southern American, Memphis-style barbecue focuses mainly on a seasoning meats with a dry rub and smoking them over a long period of time. This tender meat is usually served with a vinegar-based sauce for additional moisture.

For those of you that like your barbecue sauce recipes quick and easy, try this one from James Martin, from BBC Food.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time less than 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• olive oil
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 55g/2oz dark brown sugar
• 50ml/1¾fl oz dark soy sauce
• 300ml/10fl oz tomato ketchup
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil with the chilli, fennel seeds and sugar.
2. Add the soy sauce and ketchup and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavours. Use as a dip or to coat spare ribs, chicken or sausages.

Credit: BBC Food

Here’s a a barbecue sauce recipe with a little bit more kick. Aside from the usual ingredients you’d expect to see, there’s the interesting addition of premium Vodka, which should really light the fire at your next barbecue.

If you’re looking a barbecue sauce that will make your hot wings HOT, this beer and Jalapeño recipe from the BBQ Pit Boys should be right up your street. The music and jig are optional.

This recipe for a tomato-based barbecue sauce is quick and very easy to make. And as the recipe comes from the BBQ Pit Boys, you know they have a good idea about what a good barbecue sauce should taste like.

Here is a great recipe for a mild barbecue sauce; perfect for those who tend to get hot under the collar with spicier alternatives. Make sure you’ve got your pen and paper at the ready though, as the list of ingredients is pretty extensive.