BBQ SAUCE OF THE WEEK: Old Hickory

Here in Nashville, you see a lot of stuff named after Andrew Jackson. I realize that there are places and things named after the man all over the country, but those all use "Jackson". Here in Nashville, we prefer to use Jackson's nickname - Old Hickory.

But Old Hickory Bar-B-Q is not in Nashville, Tennessee, but rather Owensboro, Kentucky. Owensboro, which actually calls itself the "Bar-B-Q Capital of the World", is better known for its International Bar-B-Q Festival and for the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. But the locals will tell you that the best barbecue in town is at Old Hickory. Mutton is the specialty in these parts, along with a kind of barbecue stew called burgoo. Perhaps someday soon we will do a report on Old Hickory and Owensboro barbecue, but for today we're just looking at the sauce.

First of all, I dig the label and I dig the Ball jar, both of which probably have not changed in decades. The sauce is ultra-thin and has a deep dark red color. The aroma is of worcestershire sauce and vinegar, and the taste is more of the same. There is a strong savory element, followed by a bright tartness and a hint of tomatoey sweetness. There is a subtle peppery aftertaste. This seems to be a sauce that's made specifically to complement the barbecue it accompanies, so tasting it alone might be kind of misleading. But even on its own, this is a unique sauce - much more worcestershire flavor than your normal vinegar-based sauce.

Grade: B

Sweet and Spicy Pickles

Last week I had a little pickling disaster. I went through the whole process of making a nice big quart of sweet and spicy pickles, and on the last step of the water bath, my jar cracked. My last hour of work was just floating in a pool of failure. Not to be out done by some fragile glass, I set out to make another batch this weekend. I found some nice cukes and hot peppers at the farmers market, and bought new and shiny Ball jars. No breaks this time. Now we play the waiting game. In a few weeks we will know if the effort was worth it.

New Meat Curing Chamber

Scored this True GDM-26 fridge (that's 26 cubic feet) on Craigslist for $50.  I'm going to make a few mods, and it will become a meat curing chamber.  This pic does not show the Dr. Pepper wrap, but more to come. 

Stove Monkeys T-Shirt Giveaway: Caption Contest

Our friends at Stove Monkeys have some of the best food related t-shirts around, and you could be the lucky recipient of one. We are giving away this 'I Love Pork' shirt to someone out there on the interwebs. All you have to do is come up with a funny caption for this picture:


Damn you public healthcare!
Then post it in the comments and also tweet @StoveMonkeys or post on the Stove Monkeys facebook page. We will select a winner on Friday July 15th at 10am. Good Luck.