Anyone up for some DANG good ribs? 😉 I went in the opposite direction this time, and instead of making a “red sauce” or even one of my crazy “chocolate-bbq” concoctions, I decided that it was WAY past time that I reached for the good, spicy brown mustard! I hadn’t had some old-fashioned, “Carolina-style” ribs in like….forever. Yea. That’s a long time. 😉 So “South Carolina Mustard Baby Back Ribs” it would be!! 🙂 And they were flipping AWESOME!
Now, mustard barbecue sauces are completely different than your regular red sauces, obviously, but not just due to the mustard. They’re also much, much tangier, especially the Carolina ones, than the average joe sauces, too.
Neither my hubby nor I, are big on too tangy, so I think I’ve come up with a sauce that will please just about everyone!
It still has quite a nice tang, without the vinegar being completely overpowering. I didn’t want it to taste like you were doing a shot of straight-up vinegar….ya know? That’s just TOO much!
I also wanted it to have a little sweetness, to tame the vinegar a bit, too, without it being considered a “sweet sauce”.
So a nice amount of dark brown sugar , which is my favorite because it has more molasses than regular light brown sugar, was my sugar of choice! (It also keeps very easily, and doesn’t turn into a BRICK like the light kind always does! 😉 )
With an already nice balance of tangy and sweet going on, it just needed a little kick in the trunk! 😉 A nice bit of after-burn heat! But don’t worry! They’re not hot at all. Just an enjoyable, mild heat, that slowly warms you up, and not a fire-breathing dragon kind of heat. 😉
After adding a “little bit of this, and a little bit of that”, I think I have come up with a VERY good mustard barbecue sauce! It’s different than what I used to make. I searched through everything that I had and knew where to look, all over the house, and could NOT FIND my old, ancient, standby one, but I think that this one is close, and every bit as good. 😉
And if you’re just like me, you’re a bit picky, and like to play with recipes, this one has wiggle room for you! You can decrease the sugar, or up the vinegar, or make it a bit hotter, all to suit your own personal taste! As we all enjoy things a little differently. Thank goodness, or what a boring world it would be, right? 😉
So I hope that you enjoy this sauce, and use it to make these incredible ribs we enjoyed with it! I designed the rub the match the sauce, and everything was….outstanding….if it’ ok to say. 😉
I hope that you enjoy as much as we did! 🙂 Be sure to keep this recipe in mind for all of those summer barbecues coming up! And let’s get summer started with a BANG!! 😀
*This sauce would also be delicious on pork chops, chicken, bratwursts and hotdogs, or even a nice beef brisket!
South Carolina Mustard Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
Mustard Barbecue Sauce:
Instructions
CJ
Tuesday 12th of March 2019
I'm going to try this on the smoker. Not going to cover at all. Gonna slap the sauce on it for the last hour or so. Gonna take longer but we'll see how it turns out
Gillian
Friday 22nd of February 2019
I have tried many different recipes looking for a great Carolina mustard bbq sauce to come close to the one at a local restaurant. I'm glad I've stuck with the search because now that I have found this recipe I have succeeded. By far the best I've tried, my search can now stop! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Brendan - Western Australia
Friday 6th of October 2017
Hi, I was looking for an authentic Carolina style mustard-bbq sauce to use in a big rib cook-up I did, and your recipe turned out great! Took the sauce in to work and all the guys were asking for the recipe as well. Thank you very much! The tanginess in the sauce is sensational. Seemed to get better with a few days age too.
Kelly
Saturday 7th of October 2017
Fantastic to hear, Brenden! And so happy that you and your friends enjoyed!! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to let me know!
Nancy
Friday 27th of May 2016
Outstanding, absolutely outstanding according to Himself. Himself is darned picky about his ribs, too. Cornbread muffins alongside but using a spoon to get those last bits of sauce and pork? Priceless. Thank you, Kelly, for this one.
Kelly
Saturday 28th of May 2016
Oh, absolutely wonderful to hear!!! I'm over-the-moon thrilled that your hubby enjoyed them! (I admit, licking my plate did cross my mind....but I waited until I got to the kitchen to do that. ;) ;) ) I really had fun creating this recipe, and it's always so nice to hear when others enjoy it, too! Thanks for stopping by!! :D
Jeanette
Friday 27th of May 2016
Thank you for posting the recipe
Kelly
Friday 27th of May 2016
You are so very welcome, Jeanette! Hope you have a wonderful time! (And if this recipe isn't quite what you had in mind, I have 9 other recipes for ribs, too!) All are good, or I wouldn't post them! ;) :D
Rib recipes: https://wildflourskitchen.com/?s=Ribs&submit=