In America, the Fourth of July is synonymous with barbecue. And it’s even more popular than usual this year – in restaurants.
A new report from food industry research group Technomic takes barbecue pretty seriously, with “looks at barbecue from multiple angles, inclusive of its use as both a preparation method and flavor.”
The company found more than 57 percent of the restaurant operators they track offering some kind of barbecue dish, including about two-thirds of the Top 500 restaurant chains. Here are some highlights from the report…
- Overall menu incidence of barbecue sauce is up more than 5 percent in the past year.
- Among sauces with a flavor associated with them, sweet/honey-style barbecue sauces are declining, while spicy/pepper varieties are gaining.
- Coleslaw is the most commonly menued side dish, followed by French fries and baked beans.
- A majority of all barbecue sauce menu mentions don’t have a flavor associated with the sauce, indicating opportunities for operators to offer more innovative sauce flavors.
- Smoked is the most commonly used barbecue preparation, and pork is the most commonly barbecued meat.
Want to add some restaurant flair to your backyard barbecue tomorrow? We picked out a couple of online recipes you might try…
Dorothy Ross’ Sweet ‘n’ Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic pepper blend
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the flavors are blended. Remove from the heat; cool.
Southern Living’s Best Barbecue Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 2 (10 ounce) packages finely shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
Directions
Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl. Whisk together sugar and next 7 ingredients until blended; toss with vegetables. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
If you try either of these recipes, let us know how they taste on our Facebook page.
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