Check out my review of the Trader Joe's Carolina Gold Barbeque Sauce. Learn what is in the sauce and what are some great ways to use it.
It's summer time, also known as grill season.
The time of year where we Americans like taking our kitchens outdoors and spending some serious time in front of the grill.
Eventually when we get talking about grilling, the topic of barbeque sauce is naturally going to arise.
Who has the best? What style do you prefer?
To kick off this season right, we here at Eat Like No One Else are committing to studying barbeque sauces - lot of great content to come.
One of the best things about this sauce is that is it different based on where you are on the map.
For a foodie with a Geography degree this is super exciting stuff. I am going to taking you on a tour across this country looking at different styles of sauces, reviews of what you can buy in the store, as well as my very own recipes.
Get ready to come along for the ride as we start off with the inspiration for this exploration into barbeque sauce - Trader Joe's Carolina Gold.
Jump to:
🥇 What is Carolina Gold?
Many months ago as I was looking in the condiment section at my local Trader Joe's, I spotted this gold colored sauce - called Carolina Gold. Not having much knowledge of sauces at the time I was intrigued by a barbeque sauce that is gold in color.
I grabbed the bottle and went to reading - the bottle says
"Every pat of the U.S. has its own special way of preparing barbecue. In some parts of the country, you might even find multiple styles of barbecue in the same town! We're fans of all kinds of barbecue and Trader Joe's Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce is a blend that reminds us of some of the best grilled meats we've enjoyed in the Carolinas. It's a golden-hue mustard-based sauce that's sweet and smoky with a hint of molasses and just the right blend of spices. Use it as a glaze near the end of barbeucing, as a sauce for burgers and sandwiches , or as a dipping sauce for chicken or veggies."
Mustard base you say. This is my first time hearing of a mustard based barbeque sauce. I always associate barbeque with ketchup. Why not mustard? I love mustard. I was really intrigued by this sauce, and noticed it on several visits without buying it.
Finally when I decided to write some features on barbeque sauce I knew the first sauce I needed to try.
📋 What are the Ingredients?
Here is the ingredient list:
- Cane sugar
- Yellow mustard (distilled vinegar, water, mustard seed)
- Distilled vinegar
- Tomato puree (water, tomato paste)
- Sea salt
- Corn starch
- Worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, sea salt, sugar, spices, tamarind),
- Molasses
- Spices
- Garlic
- Onion
- Natural smoke flavor
- Xanthan gum
⭐ Review
My first thought as I open the bottle, even though it doesn't look like barbeque sauce I am use to, it sure does smell like it.
It has a distinct smoky smell. It's sweet, maybe a little more than it needs to be. That is the first thing that hits you. Then I get a smokey flavor. What I have left with is some spice on the tongue. It has a nice warmth to it that leaves a little something but not super hot where you need to down a gallon of milk afterward. All along I am tasting mustard, yet I still feel like this is barbeque.
I love it. Nice work Carolina!
Other thoughts: The texture of the sauce is perfect, not too thick and too runny - thanks in part to the added corn starch and xanthan gum I am sure. Easy to pour.
🍟 How to Use It
Anything that you would normally use BBQ sauce for you can use this for. It's great with some pulled pork, coleslaw, and pickles on a homemade bun. However a few other idea include (make sure to check out the recipes I mention)
- As a dip for fries or my Air Fry Trader Joe's Squash Zig Zags
- On a sandwich like I did with this turkey sandwich that I mad with pumpkin yeast bread.
- As a salad dressing. It's a little thick for that, so I put some bowl in a bowl, then add in a little bit of oil and vinegar to thin it out just a little.
If you have had this sauce before what is your favorite way to use it? Leave a comment at the end.
🐈 Copycat Version
If you like me looking to expand your barbeque horizons you can do well for yourself buying Trader Joe's Carolina Gold. If I was going to attempt to re-create this sauce from scratch myself, I would use
- Homemade Mustard
- Fresh from the garden tomatoes for the tomato puree
- Carmelized onions,
- Roasted garlic
- Smoked salt (I recommend Redmond Real Salt)
By using fresh tomatoes, onions that have been carmelized, and garlic that has been roasted you are adding natural sweetness, so that you don't need the sugar that is in the Trader Joe's version.
You could add a little pumpkin too for sweetness. I do that in the fall with my Pumpkin Marinara sauce.
When you make a homemade sauce you can customize it. I recommend getting all your ingredients together and then start mixing together. Taste, taste, and taste some more until your taste buds like what they are tasting!
🥔 Potato Chips
When I was shopping at Trader Joe's in the summer, I found a big display of Carolina Gold BBQ flavored potato chips. They are ridge cut too which I love. If you are a BBQ chip fan than you need to watch out for those chips in the store. Not sure if they are a seasonal thing or will be long lasting in stores.
🛒 More Foods at Trader Joe's
While you are at Trader Joe's, look for these foods as well.
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