FOOD NEWS
The Key Distinctions Between Barbecue And Steak Sauce
BY VANESSA NIX ANTHONY
Barbecue sauce and steak sauce are often spotted together at steakhouses and BBQ joints, but knowing the differences between them can help you use them more effectively.
Though every brand and recipe is different, steak sauce is typically brown, thinner, and saltier, while barbecue sauce is thick, sweet, smoky, and can come in many colors.
Steak sauce has a sweet-tart-umami flavor, tip-of-the-tongue tanginess, and salt-and-pepper bite that can cut through rich meats. It's like a fruity, syrupy Worcestershire sauce.
Steak sauce also has deeper undertones from molasses, onion, and pureed tomato. Rather than an ingredient, it's most often used as a condiment on steak, burgers, lamb, and more.
On the other hand, barbecue sauce is heartier and more richly flavored. It's used as a marinade and is also slathered on meats during and after grilling for an extra saucy bite.
Barbecue sauce is typically made with tomato, a sweetener like molasses, brown sugar, honey, or corn syrup, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, onion, cayenne, and other spices.
Variations can include other ingredients like mustard, chili powder, chili flakes, bourbon, cumin, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and even mayonnaise.
While barbecue sauce is mainly used for slow-and-low cooking to caramelize meats, it's also great for saucing hamburgers, wings, hot dogs, pizza, or sandwiches.