Alabama-Style White BBQ Sauce � An Almost Labor-Free Sauce for Your Labor Day Grill

This incredibly easy to make Alabama white barbecue sauce was invented in 1925 by Robert �Big Bob� Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q restaurant, in Decatur. When I first read this bit of culinary history, I had to smile, since I actually know the guy. Well, sort of.

I�ve been to two bbq �boot camps,� run by champion pitmaster Chris Lilly, who trained under a guy, who trained under Big Bob Gibson. Hey, that�s only three degrees of separation. Ironically, Chris never made, or used the white sauce on anything we cooked, but still, I know a guy, who knew a guy, who knew THE guy.

Some people find this concoction quite strange, but not me. It�s eerily similar to the Cornell chicken marinade, which I love. In fact, Mr. Robert C. Baker, the creator of the aforementioned recipe, may have borrowed the idea from Big Bob. I would investigate further, but I have real crimes to solve.

Don�t let this mixture�s appearance stop you from trying what is a devastatingly delicious marinade, baste, and sauce. One tip for basting on the grill: make sure you do it towards the end of cooking, and not over too-high heat. You don�t want flame-ups, as that will cause an off taste.

I brush on two or three applications to each side, over more indirect heat, and as you see in the video, it sears on nicely. As a table sauce, it�s great on any of the traditional barbecued meats, but since it�s really just a salad dressing, it�s also wonderful for making potato salad, coleslaw, and grilled vegetables. I hope you give this white barbecue sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of sauce:

2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup prepared extra-hot horseradish

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tsp yellow mustard

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar