The only difference is that no barbeque sauces are the same. They're usually family secrets and rarely shared. When I asked one barbequer about his sauce, he said his recipe is so secret, he can't even tell himself!!

The five basic barbeque sauces are tomato, vinegar, mustard, white, and variations of combinations. Their use is based on regions. Now this isn't an exact science (obviously), and when I tell you that Texans use a tomato-based sauce, that's not to say you won't find some fiery vinegars on some tables. Most states serve up varying degrees (sweet and heat) of red tomato sauce.

The real exceptions are in northern Alabama where they swear by a mayonnaise-based white barbeque sauce. South Carolina has a taste for sweet mustard sauces, and North Carolina dips most of its pork in vinegar sauces.

Red Sauce
Without a doubt, the red or tomato-based barbecue is the most popular. It can be made with ’most any tomato product (ketchup, tomatoes, puree, or paste). Then vinegar or citrus is added for tartness. After that, sweetness, heat, and spices are added, depending on preference.

There are a couple of things to remember when making this sauce. You want to cook the sauce for about 30 minutes to eliminate any raw tomato taste. This includes ketchup. Cooking will also help dissolve and blend any sweeteners you add.

If you use any alcohol in the sauce, reduce it by at least half by cooking it over medium-high heat. You only want the flavor. Uncooked alcohol will become too strong as it sits.

Make sure you make this sauce at least a day ahead so that all the flavors have time to mellow and meld together.

Mustard Sauce
This mustard sauce is from South Carolina. Trust me, it tastes much better than it looks, so give it a try. It's wonderful, but will take a bit of getting use to.

I first had this years ago at a barbecue called a pig-pickin'. On a small farm outside Columbia, we slow-cooked a whole hog over an open pit with plenty of smoke. When the pig was ready, we removed it from the grill racks and placed the whole hog on a picnic table. There were no chairs anywhere. So it amounted to a full dinner in cocktail-party fashion, with us standing around and pickin' the hot, choice pieces of pork right off the bones. Surrounding the pig were various mustard barbecue sauces that we dipped our hot pork into. This was nearly heaven.

Vinegar Sauce
Vinegar sauces have their roots in North Carolina. The state is divided in half according to the type of sauce that’s served. The eastern half (where they cook the whole hog) serves an almost straight vinegar made simply with salt and various peppers added. It never contains any sweetener and is used as a mop during cooking as well as a final sauce for dipping.

On the western side of the state (where they cook pork shoulders exclusively and call it Lexington-style barbecue), they still make a vinegar sauce, but with a slight difference. They add a touch of tomato and sugar. I’ve had both and prefer the western because there’s just enough sugar and tomato to smooth out the tart vinegar taste. I also really like the rich mahogany color.

Give my version a try. I think you’ll find it not only different, but it could end up a favorite.