The State’s Best Dish: Alabama White Sauce

Southerners have always been known to do things their own way and BBQ sauce is no exception to the rule. In South Carolina it’s a mustard base, in North Carolina a vinegar base, the sauce in Kansas City is thick and slightly sweet while Memphis prefers it thin and tangy. In Texas, the sauce has a little kick and an earthy flavor, but north in Oklahoma its ketchup heavy. While all the BBQ sauces are a little different, none is as distinct as Alabama white sauce.

Alabama white sauce is a mayonnaise-based sauce that is paired with vinegar for a creamy kick, not often found in its tomato-based counterparts. Heavy on black pepper, and flavored with lemon juice, Worcestershire and a dash of hot sauce, Alabama white sauce is a perfect accompaniment to smoked meats.

Southern legend has it that the sauce originated in 1925 by the Big Bob Gibson himself. Years before opening his Decatur, Alabama restaurant, the railroad worker would spend weekends smoking whole chickens and pork shoulders in his backyard. Big Bob smoked his chickens in the hand- dug pit for upwards of 3 hours. During the later stages of the smoking process, he would “sop mop” the chickens, basting them with his original creation. The mayonnaise in the sauce helped to keep the chickens moist and prevented them from drying out. The simple sauce was made with kitchen staples and highlighted the smoky flavor of the meat, rather than covering it up.

Gibson’s beloved white sauce became such a hit, both in his backyard and at the restaurants, that it began appearing on tables across the state. With a fan base beyond the region, Alabama white sauce can be found on smoked chickens and turkeys on both picnic tables and white tablecloth restaurants both home and abroad.

If the drive to Big Bob Gibson’s seems a little far to sample the sauce, head over for 1885’s white sauce to accompany your dinner tonight!