BBQ Sauce for Pork

Some of the best barbecue sauces are the simplest, and this one proves it. Soy sauce, maple syrup, and mustard: three ingredients that happen to cover every flavor base you need for pork. The soy brings salt and umami, the maple adds sweetness that caramelizes on the grill, and the mustard gives it a sharp edge that keeps the whole thing from being cloying.

The recipe is refreshingly honest about measurements: half a cup of soy, half a cup of maple syrup, about a quarter cup of mustard, maybe with a little vinegar. Use that flexibility. If your mustard is sharp, start with a little less. If you like more acidity, splash in the vinegar.

This sauce works as a mop applied directly to pork ribs during grilling, or as a marinade if you let the ribs sit in it for a few hours before cooking. Either way, apply it in the last stages of cooking so the maple sugar doesn’t burn before the pork is done.

Pro Tips

• Dijon mustard makes a more refined sauce; yellow mustard keeps it casual and slightly tangy
• Apply the sauce in the final 15-20 minutes of grilling in multiple thin layers rather than one thick coating
• A splash of apple cider vinegar brightens the whole sauce and cuts the sweetness
• Works equally well on pork chops, pork tenderloin, or chicken thighs