Bottled BBQ sauce usually contains tomato puree or paste, sugar (often in the form of molasses, honey or brown sugar), onion, garlic, vinegar and spices. Many sauces also contain liquid smoke extract. Real barbeque is meat (chicken, beef brisket, pork butt or ribs) that has been rubbed with a blend of dry spices and then smoked over wood chips on a grill. After meat is allowed to rest, it's brushed with warmed barbeque sauce just before serving. Some barbeque experts recommend basting the meat with BBQ sauce before smoking, but experts prefer dry rubs, which contain salt. This not only seasons the meat, but also helps draw out moisture. Smoking meat is a very time-consuming process, but with the right equipment, it's not an especially difficult task.

Reviewers say the following about choosing BBQ sauce:

  • Consider making your own sauce. Professional chefs say that homemade BBQ sauce trumps even the best jarred varieties. Making your own also allows you to control salt and sugar levels.
  • Read the label. The best commercial sauces don't contain corn syrup or preservatives and they aren't overloaded with sodium, sugar and thickening agents. You can always add salt or sugar to a sauce that's slightly under-seasoned.
  • Consider regional differences. Most American BBQ sauces are tomato-based, but regional variations are numerous. Some Texan sauces contain cayenne pepper, mustard and chilies. In North Carolina, BBQ sauce is usually vinegar-based.
  • Apply the sauce at the right time. Scott Roberts, owner of The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Tex., recommends applying sauce before searing meat and then moving the meat over an indirect heat source. Basting the meat with sauce will protect it against drying out. Others, however, don't recommend slathering on sauce until just before serving. You'll have to decide which you prefer.
  • BBQ sauce is good for more than just smoked meat. You can use it to baste meatloaf or you can add it to broiled chicken or baked beans.
  • Eat grilled meats in moderation. Studies show that meat cooked over hot coals can form carcinogenic compounds. Marinating meat helps prevent these compounds from forming. Scientists say that barbeque, in which meat is smoked at low temperatures for several hours, is lower in carcinogenic compounds than meat that's grilled over high heat. If you must grill meat over hot coals, try a dish that cooks quickly, such as kebabs.
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