South Carolina-style Mustard BBQ Sauce

Recipe by Catherine Neville

Moving south from North Carolina into South Carolina, mustard is added to the Carolina region’s vinegar-focused sauces. Thanks to the influence of South Carolina’s German immigrants, the spicy, complex condiment lends its heat and bite to local recipes. You can find a number of sauces on offer in the state, including sweet tomato-based varieties, but South Carolina is famous for its tangy mustard-based sauces, many of which include sugar to balance the acidity. As with all traditional Southern barbecue, pork is what’s on the plate here, not beef; you’ll find it chopped, pulled or sliced, served up with a slice of white bread and a squirt bottle of sauce on the side.

South Carolina-Style Mustard Sauce

  • ¾ cup yellow mustard

  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp light brown sugar

  • 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter

  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • hot sauce, to taste

| Preparation | In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.

Catherine Neville