Carolina Mopping Sauce is used in place of a rub as a baste while the meat slowly roasts on the barbecue. Eastern Carolina Mopping Sauce is vinegar-based with a spicy kick.
When I moved to South Carolina, I had never heard of a wet mopping sauce. Carolina Mopping Sauce is a vinegar-based BBQ sauce that many pit masters use to baste the meat while it’s slow roasting on the barbecue. It’s a very regional sauce and it’s quite common to find it here, along with traditional tomato-based sauces, on the table of the local barbecue joints. It is used as both a baste on the meat and as a sauce on your sandwich.
For people like me who love vinegar and a bit of heat, this simple sauce is all you need on pulled pork to make your mouth sing. However, for many, it is a bit harsh and you may only want to use it as a mopping sauce in place of the rub and still top with a traditional barbecue sauce at the table.
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Carolina Mopping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp brown sugar , packed
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Super easy and very tasty. Thanks for the recipe – found it in a search to replace a bottle of NC mopping sauce that was a gift which the whole family loved on pulled pork.. I added 1/2 tsp of molasses to darken/thicken yours up a bit.
5 ‘s for sure! This is my favorite & the very easiest recipe ever!
We loved this sauce. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Randi. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
We smoked some pork in the pit this weekend and used this mopping sauce to baste. It has a great flavor.
Substituted extra hot ground pepper and made an excellent hot sauce.
Sounds great, Francisco. I’m so glad you were able to make it work for you!
Just want to say this is also great on rotisserie chicken.
Thanks, Emily! So glad you enjoyed it!
Used this just on some grilled pork chops and it was amazing.
Thanks, Rebecca! So glad you enjoyed it.
like another commenter, this was so tasty I found myself sneaking tastes.
Thanks, Hannah ! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
This is one of the best mopping sauces I’ve tried, its so delicious I find myself tasting a spoonful of the sauce each time I go out to mop!
Thanks for the recipe, first time finding this website so I’m keen to see what else you got!
Thanks, Greg – I thought I was the only one who did that!
This is a marvelous little sauce. We love it both while basting and as a vinegar based sauce on our sandwiches. thanks!
Thanks Eloy – that’s very kind of you to say. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Perfect with pulled smoked chicken too!
So good with your BBQ smoked pork! Thanks for all the recipes!
Thanks, Olivia, You are so kind.
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Thank you, Donovan