Asian/American | BBQ | Recipes
General Tso BBQ Sauce
General Tso BBQ Sauce
Come to think of it, I never really compared this to just a standard Tso sauce. I suppose I could just put this on some fried chicken bits and we are in the same place. But for the sake of keeping the title…umm yes. It's BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1/4 cup Minced garlic (It's not you it's me. Feel free to dial this down.)
- 1 tbsp Minced ginger (nice thumb sized nub)
- 1/4 cup Rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Red pepper flake (I prefer gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 1 cup Brown sugar (Turbinado or Raw if accessible)
- 1 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Water or chicken stock/broth
- 2 tsp ea Cornstarch/water (combined to form a slurry)
Instructions
- Turn stove to medium heat and put oil in a large saucepan or small pot. Brown garlic until golden and fragrant.
- Add all other ingredients (without cornstarch slurry) and stir to combine, adjusting temperature to bring to a gentle simmer for around 20 minutes.
- Check for any final flavor adjustments, and consistency. If it needs to be thickened, stir in the slurry to combine and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
Notes
I wanted this recipe to be almost patronizing in it’s flavor. Like that sweet and spicy face kick from Chinese takeout that you just KNOW isn’t good for you, but it reminds you of a shoveling piece after piece into your face after a night of drinking. So like that, but on top of some wonderfully cared for and slow smoked meat, and breaking from the monotony of traditional sweet heat American BBQ.
Funny story – we actually used this to compete in a “rib only” side category at a BBQ competition, that we PAID to be at and these ribs got absolutely trashed by the majority of the judges. Think we finished 31 of 32 in the ribs, so I would hate to be the team that actually finished last. 
Now I know this isn’t a glowing testimonial, but the celebrity chef they had at the comp made a special trip over to our tent to tell us basically “Fuck them judges” and to keep doing what we were doing. And that meant retiring from straight BBQ competitions and their tempering of original thought, and just cooking because its something I enjoy doing for family and friends. So thanks Chef “Boots” Johnson…fuck them judges indeed.
Now I know this isn’t a glowing testimonial, but the celebrity chef they had at the comp made a special trip over to our tent to tell us basically “Fuck them judges” and to keep doing what we were doing. And that meant retiring from straight BBQ competitions and their tempering of original thought, and just cooking because its something I enjoy doing for family and friends. So thanks Chef “Boots” Johnson…fuck them judges indeed. 
