Simple Grilling Sauces For The Trail

by Gerald Rowan

’Tis the season! Soon it will be time for hiking, backpacking, camping, and just enjoying the outdoors or a day at the beach. Life would be easier with a few simple, quickly made grilling sauces.
 
These sauces can be made with ingredients common to most kitchens. Feel free to be creative. Yellow, brown, farmers, and Dijon mustard can be substitutes for any mustard. Honey can be a substitute, as well as maple, corn, and even pancake syrups. White or red wine, as well as cider, balsamic, and even champagne vinegars, can all be substitutes for each other.
 
Remember that grilling sauces containing sugar will burn easily. Apply them in the last few minutes of grilling.
 
Simple Barbecue Sauce
½ to 1 ounce onion soup mix
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups ketchup                                                                
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Combine and mix well. Refrigerate overnight before using.
 
White Barbecue Sauce
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine and mix well. Refrigerate overnight before using.
 
Chipotle Sauce
One 7 ounce can chipotle in adobo sauce                                                     
8 cloves garlic (peeled and left whole)
¼ cup honey
Water as needed
Place the garlic in a small bowl and cover with honey; then microwave for 1 to 1½ minutes and drain (This makes the garlic much milder.) Add the ingredients to a blender; process until smooth. Add water as needed to adjust the sauce thickness.
 
Mustard Grilling Sauce
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup farmers mustard
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup cider vinegar
Combine and mix well.
 
Trail Grilling Sauce
¼ cup to 2 tablespoons marmalade (orange, lemon, peach, or pineapple)                                                   1 tablespoon farmers mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
Combine and mix well. Refrigerate overnight before using.