American barbecue is built around slow-cooked meat, but the sauces and sides are what balance it. The rule is simple: rich, smoky meat wants something sharp, cool or crunchy beside it. That is why the same few partners appear at nearly every barbecue.
The southern states of America have several distinct barbecue traditions, each with its own sauce: tomato and molasses in Kansas City, vinegar and pepper in the Carolinas, mustard in parts of South Carolina, and mostly dry rubs and little sauce in central Texas. The sides, though, are shared: slaw, pickles, beans, bread.
BBQ Ribs
United StatesAmerican slow-smoked pork ribs β St Louis or baby back ribs rubbed with spice, smoked for hours until fall-off-the-bone tender, glazed with BBQ sauce.
Prep: 20 minsCook: 240 minsMedium
View Recipe βBarbecue sauce itself varies from region to region. Kansas City style is thick, sweet and tangy, built on tomato, molasses and vinegar with a hit of smoked paprika. Brush it on towards the end of cooking so the sugar caramelises rather than burns.
Photo: Dplanet::
American BBQ Sauce
United StatesA smoky, sticky, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce with molasses and spices. Brush it on ribs, chicken or brisket.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 30 minsEasy
View Recipe βBrisket is the centrepiece of Texas barbecue, and it is usually served with very little sauce: just pickles and raw or pickled onions on the side. A jar of bright pink pickled red onions is an easy way to add that sharp contrast.
BBQ Brisket
United StatesThe crown jewel of Texas barbecue β beef brisket slow-smoked over post oak for up to 18 hours until a black bark forms outside and the meat trembles with juiciness within.
Prep: 15 minsCook: 12-18 hrsHard
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Photo: Kotivalo
Pickled Red Onions
MexicoVivid pink, tangy and lightly sweet quick-pickled onions. The YucatΓ‘n cebollas encurtidas that finish tacos and cochinita pibil.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 5 minsEasy
View Recipe βColeslaw is the other classic. Crunchy shredded cabbage and carrot in a creamy, tangy dressing is exactly what hot, fatty meat needs. Salt and drain the cabbage first and it will stay crisp for longer.
Coleslaw
United StatesCrunchy shredded cabbage and carrot in a creamy, tangy dressing. The classic cooling side for barbecue and fried chicken.
Prep: 15 minsCook: 0 minsEasy
View Recipe βBuffalo wings come with their own pairing: cool ranch dressing or blue cheese dip, with celery sticks to scoop. The creamy dip tames the heat of the sauce, and which one you prefer is a matter of fierce debate.
Buffalo Wings
United StatesBuffalo NY hot wings β crispy chicken wings tossed in a butter and hot sauce mixture, served with celery and blue cheese dip. Invented at the Anchor Bar in 1964.
Prep: 15 minsCook: 35 minsEasy
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Ranch Dressing
United StatesCool, creamy buttermilk dressing with garlic, chives and dill. America's favourite dip for wings, pizza and cruditΓ©s.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 0 minsEasy
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Photo: jeffreyw
Blue Cheese Dip
United StatesA tangy, creamy dip full of crumbled blue cheese. The classic cooling partner for spicy Buffalo wings and celery sticks.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 0 minsEasy
View Recipe βAnd for burger night, a homemade burger sauce and a bottle of real tomato ketchup go a long way.
Photo: chichacha
Hamburger
United StatesA grilled beef patty served in a soft bun with classic toppings β one of the most iconic and widely eaten dishes to come out of American food culture.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 10 minsEasy
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Burger Sauce
United StatesA creamy, tangy, slightly sweet sauce in the style of the classic burger-joint special sauce. Great on burgers, fries and wraps.
Prep: 5 minsCook: 0 minsEasy
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Ketchup
United StatesHomemade tomato ketchup β sweet, tangy and spiced, far richer than the bottled kind. Perfect with fries, burgers and hot dogs.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 1 hrEasy
View Recipe βMost of the sides can be made well ahead, which is a gift on the day. Coleslaw is better after an hour in the fridge, pickled onions after a day, and sauces keep for a week or more. That leaves you free to tend the meat.
As a general rule, plan for one creamy side, one sharp or pickled side, and something starchy such as bread or potatoes. Add a bowl of fresh salad if you like, but the barbecue is the star.