FOOD NEWS
Alabama's White BBQ Sauce Is A Genuine Southern Staple
By Kalea Martin
Northern Alabama-style barbecue sauce stands out among the many other sauces of the South because of its flavor and distinct white color.
Colloquially referred to as simply "white sauce," the recipe was created by Robert Gibson, the namesake of the famed barbecue joint Big Bob Gibson, located in Decatur, Alabama.
Most barbecue sauce is brown because it contains a number of brown or dark-colored ingredients, but "white sauce" gets its color primarily from mayonnaise.
Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice give it its acidity, and cayenne and black pepper are the only dark-colored ingredient it contains.
The sauce is flavored with horseradish, salt, and sugar, and unlike other types of barbecue sauce, it doesn't get cooked. Instead, its ingredients are mixed together.
White barbecue sauce gives barbecue a tangy, zesty flavor with very little sweetness. In addition to pork and chicken, it goes best on turkey, seafood, and wild game.