Alabama-Style White BBQ Sauce ā€“ An Almost Labor-Free Sauce for Your Labor Day Grill

This incredibly easy to make Alabama white barbecue sauce was invented in 1925 by Robert "Big Bob" Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q restaurant, in Decatur. When I first read this bit of culinary history, I had to smile, since I actually know the guy. Well, sort of.

I've been to two bbq "boot camps," run by champion pitmaster Chris Lilly, who trained under a guy, who trained under Big Bob Gibson. Hey, that's only three degrees of separation. Ironically, Chris never made, or used the white sauce on anything we cooked, but still, I know a guy, who knew a guy, who knew THE guy.

Some people find this concoction quite strange, but not me. It's eerily similar to the Cornell chicken marinade, which I love. In fact, Mr. Robert C. Baker, the creator of the aforementioned recipe, may have borrowed the idea from Big Bob. I would investigate further, but I have real crimes to solve.

Don't let this mixture's appearance stop you from trying what is a devastatingly delicious marinade, baste, and sauce. One tip for basting on the grill: make sure you do it towards the end of cooking, and not over too-high heat. You don't want flame-ups, as that will cause an off taste.

I brush on two or three applications to each side, over more indirect heat, and as you see in the video, it sears on nicely. As a table sauce, it's great on any of the traditional barbecued meats, but since it's really just a salad dressing, it's also wonderful for making potato salad, coleslaw, and grilled vegetables. I hope you give this white barbecue sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of sauce:

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup prepared extra-hot horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
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