Dad's Mop Sauce: Authentic SC Vinegar-Pepper Recipe

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What is a mop sauce?

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A mop sauce is a thin vinegar-based barbecue sauce that is spiced with salt and black and/or red pepper. This sauce is used to baste meat on the grill and on a larger scale, to provide flavor and moisture at the end of cooking a whole hog, as is the tradition in South Carolina.

That tradition echoes the history of barbecue itself and you can taste that tradition in this recipe.

Watch as James Beard-award winning pitmaster, South Carolina’s own Rodney Scott — originally of Scott’s BBQ in Hemingway and now at Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston — literally mopping sauce onto a whole hog (and steak!) in this video:

What is in Rodney Scott’s barbecue sauce?

Just watch and you’ll see Rodney share the ingredients in his famous mop sauce: “Black pepper, red pepper, vinegar, and…..” We’ll let you listen in to find out the secret ingredient! (Skip ahead to 2:19 if you’re impatient.)

Recently, he was seen on national tv, making an appearance on The Today Show.

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How is a mop sauce used?

In most applications, you simply baste your choice of meats periodically during the cook.

For quicker things like steak or chicken, you will want to hit them on the turns, as you are flipping the cuts. For longer cooks like ribs, you will want to mop occasionally throughout the time on the grill.

But won’t your ribs become soggy?

Using a mopwill not make your ribs soggy. In fact, the sauce will actually attract smoke to the meat, giving them smokier flavor in less time.

And, if you’re grilling theribs low and slow, as you should be, a mop will help keep the ribs from drying out.

Okthen, show me an authentic SC BBQ mop sauce recipe, please.

This anonymous submission is actually the second recipe submitted to our site. It is primarily used to mop ribs but works in any standard application.

“The mop sauce at once both slightly cool and flavor the meat, and because the sauce is so thin, it penetrates to flavor deeply,” our contributor noted.

We’re not sure if “Dad” is the person who submitted the recipe or, maybe, that person’s father? Regardless, we pass it on to you.

Dad’s vinegar-based Mop Sauce recipe works well in Rodney Scott’s ribs recipe as well as his Collard Greens recipe, where a vinegar pepper sauce adds the critical flavor to the finished dish.

In addition, you can use this recipe in Rodney Scott’s Smoked Turkey Recipe. There seems to be a trend here.

If you’re looking for a different but equally authentic finishing sauce for when your barbecue comes off the grill, try the sauce my wife made famous among all our friends.

Dad’s Mop Sauce

Yield: 24 Servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

A vinegar-pepper BBQ mop sauce typical

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider vinegar, Heinz
1/2 cup white vinegar, Heinz
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tbsp Kosher salt, or any coarse salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Stir and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Notes

I prefer to make this the day before cooking at the same time I season my ribs and allow it to cool overnight to room temperature. Baste ribs every hour during cooking.

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If you enjoyed this recipe, check out these other authentic SCBBQ recipes we’ve published on destination-bbq:

Eastern SC Vinegar-Based Sauce Recipe

Home Team BBQ’s Alabama White Sauce Recipe

And we’ve published the following sauce recipes in the SCBBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog cookbook

You can read more about that here.

Sauces and Rubs:

Vinegar-Pepper Sauces

Jay Phillips’ Whole Hog Sauce Recipe
Dad’s Mop Sauce Recipe
Eastern SC Vinegar-Pepper Sauce Recipe
Moore Family’s Little Fisher Hog Sauce Recipe
Lowcountry Vinegar Sauce Recipe

Mustard Sauces

Dukes BBQ-Style Sauce Recipe
Dukes BBQ Sauce – “Actual Recipe”
Simple South Carolina Mustard Sauce Recipe
Bessinger’s-Style Gold Sauce Recipe

Tomato-Based Sauces

John Padgett’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce Recipe
Honey-Hickory Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Bullies BBQs Thin Basting Sauce Recipe
Cherrywood Signature BBQ Sauce Recipe
“Carolina Red” Light Tomato Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Basic Tomato Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Other Sauces

Home Team BBQ Alabama White Sauce Recipe
Moe’s Original BBQ’s Alabama White Sauce Recipe
Brisket Mojo Sauce Recipe
Roller Family Hot Sauce Recipe
Salsa Verde with Avocado for Pulled Pork Recipe

Rubs

Sticky Fingers’ Basic Dry Rub Recipe
JB’s Smokeshack-Style Spicy Dry Rub Recipe
Sticky Fingers’ Texas Rub Recipe
BlackJack Barbecue Dry Rub Recipe
Sticky Fingers’ Sweet Rib Rub Recipe
Home Team BBQ Dry Rub Recipe for Chicken Wings Recipe
John Lewis BBQ-Style Brisket Dry Rub Recipe

Learn More About Our SCBBQ Cookbook

Dad's Mop Sauce: Authentic SC Vinegar-Pepper Recipe - Destination BBQ (2024)

FAQs

Is mop sauce the same as BBQ sauce? ›

Mop sauce is thinner in consistency than bbq sauce, often with a vinegar base. The mop sauce is used to baste meat every 20 minutes or so over a long cooking time on the grill, or smoker, at a low temperature. BBQ sauce should be applied at the end of cooking meat since it's thicker and has a higher sugar content.

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Can you use vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for BBQ sauce? ›

Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor. If you don't have any ACV on hand, red wine vinegar (made from fermented red wine) will do in a pinch.

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What kind of BBQ sauce is South Carolina known for? ›

Mustard-based barbecue sauce is common in the central part of South Carolina, and is style of barbecue is most strongly associated with South Carolina. It is sometimes called "Carolina Gold". It may have originated in the French and German immigrant community that arrived in South Carolina in the 18th century.

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Why do you put vinegar in BBQ sauce? ›

Vinegars: These can help balance the sweetness of the standard off-the-shelf sauce.

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What is the difference between North Carolina and South Carolina BBQ sauce? ›

Carolina BBQ: South vs Eastern North vs Lexington

Nicknamed the "Mustard Belt", South Carolina is famous for its Carolina Gold, a tangy, mustard-based sauce. North Carolina BBQ has two styles. A clear, vinegar-based sauce cuts through the fatty whole hog BBQ of Eastern North Carolina.

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Why is it called mop sauce? ›

Texas's beefy barbecue cuts are often cooked with savory "mop sauce" or "basting sauce" — so called because it's applied with a mop. Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible, describes the sauces as more of a thin "glaze" that moistens the meat and adds flavor as it smokes.

Read The Full Story ›

Which vinegar is best for BBQ sauce? ›

The vinegar used for this style of sauce is usually apple cider vinegar, but plain white vinegar works as well. In fact, any vinegar will work provided that the other ingredients match the flavors. Try balsamic or fruit-based vinegars.

Learn More ›

What state uses vinegar BBQ sauce? ›

Duke's Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce originates from the Piedmont region of western North Carolina. Born out of a state-wide barbecue divide, this tangy, vinegar-based sauce adds a touch of tomato paste for sweetness and color.

Find Out More ›

What is the most popular BBQ sauce in South Carolina? ›

Shared with their northern neighbors, vinegar and pepper barbecue sauce is most popular in the low country on the eastern coast of South Carolina.

Tell Me More ›

What makes South Carolina BBQ different? ›

Also, South Carolina style introduces elements of mustard in either the rub or sauce, as this state counts mustard spice as a major cash crop. This BBQ style's signature dish is pork shoulder served with hush puppies, green beans, and coleslaw.

Get More Info Here ›

Is it worth making your own BBQ sauce? ›

The problem is that most store-bought barbecue sauces just aren't that stellar. They're off-the-scales sweet, packed with fake "smoke" flavor, or weirdly viscous like butterscotch. If you want to really elevate your barbecue, you're going to have to make your own sauce.

How do you pimp BBQ sauce? ›

What To Add To Store-Bought BBQ Sauce?

Spices like: Smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, onion powder.
Fresh herbs like: rosemary, oregano, parsley.
Chipotle chilis in adobo.
Harissa.
Kimchi.
Bacon bits.
Sautéed onions or Jalapeños.
Mop sauce or vinegar.

More items...

Mar 8, 2023

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What makes BBQ sauce taste better? ›

Sweet and savory come together in this next BBQ sauce trick. Create a standard sauce base—using tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and onions—and then add in the extras. Include some melted down semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, freshly brewed coffee and chili powder. This will give your barbecue sauce a mole twist.

What sauce is similar to BBQ sauce? ›

Hoisin Sauce

An excellent alternative to the barbecue sauce is this Asian sauce made from vinegar, honey, sesame paste, flour, chilies and soy sauce. Known for its texture and the thick glazed appearance like the BBQ sauce, the Chinese-inspired Hoisin sauce is excellent for the ones who love spicy baby ribs.

Read On ›

What is a mop sauce? ›

Sometimes called a sop, a mop isn't just another kind of barbecue sauce. It is a thin, watery solution that drips over meat adding moisture to combat the drying of an open fire. Think of it this way; a sauce is applied with a brush, like a paintbrush. A mop is applied with, well, a mop.

What are the 4 types of barbecue sauce? ›

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.