Issuing a proclamation of monumental flavor is a tall order for any product to live up to. Only a brand hailing from our nations capital thats been produced and distributed by ex-politicians would issue such a promise to the citizens of the United States. Luckily these politicians are originally from Missouri, so theyve got a true barbecue agenda that cant be swayed by lobbyist kickbacks or political bribery. Weve been sampling their products for a few weeks now, and we can confidently confirm that you can take these politicians for their word with their Pork Barrel BBQ products!
Pork Barrel BBQ might be a familiar face for those of you that enjoy a little recreational television every once in a while. The creators, Heath and Brett, were introduced to mainstream America though ABCs hit show Shark Tank. If youre not familiar with the program, its premise is that promising entrepreneurs pitch their start-up business concepts to investment sharks in hopes of striking a deal that will help propel their products to the forefront of main street America. Many have stood in front of the sharks only to have their dream business criticized, speculated, and dismissed, but the Pork Barrel guys came away with a different experience. Heres a clip from their appearance on the show:
Since striking a deal with Barbara, these guys have been on a nation-wide campaign to win over the American public. Theyve definitely earned our vote, so weve added their line of BBQ rub and sauce to our ever expanding BBQ Addicts online store. Their original flavor is a ketchup based sauce that features a strong vinegar flavor. A bold Worcestershire flavor comes through in the middle, which is followed by decent amount of heat. As with most vinegar heavy sauces, its rather thin so that the flavors are absorbed when pour over a sandwich or heaping pile of pulled pork.
The sweet version is also a ketchup based, but is more of a true Kansas City style sauce. Its classically sweetened with a hearty dose of molasses, and theres notes of herbs and spices that come together with a pleasant heat to create a balanced and extremely delicious flavor. The sauce is on the thicker side, which makes it perfect for glazing your meal just before it comes off the grill.
The mustard sauce is on the sweeter side as well, as theres a nice honey flavor to balance the vinegar. A strong herb presence gives it a unique, but very tasty flavor. Its also a thicker sauce, which makes is great for glazing and/or dipping.
The rub is a spice heavy product that has smokey quality to it. A quick glance at the ingredient list reveals smoked paprika and chipotle chiles, which quickly accounts for its source. In similar fashion to the mustard sauce, theres a strong herb presence, but also a solid heat. I was very happy with my test cook on some chicken wings, which I glazed with the sweet sauce. I did notice a lack of sugar in the rub (personal preference), but a quick glaze of sauce more than made up for it.
All four of their products are all-natural with no preservatives or MSG, and the Sweet and Mustard sauces are gluten free.
Pork Barrel BBQ Sweet Sauce (12 oz) $5.49
Pork Barrel BBQ Mustard Sauce (12 oz) $5.49
Pork Barrel BBQ All-American Spice Rub (4.5 oz) $5.99
Pork Barrel BBQ Rub/Sauce Combo (Original Sauce and All-American Rub) $10.99
Heath and Brett were also nice enough to pass along two shirts and a hat for us to give away. So the first 3 people to place an order for Pork Barrel BBQ products AND make mention of the freebies in the comments section of their order will get hooked up.
When thinking of Seattle, BBQ normally isnt the first thing that comes to mind. Most people probably conjure up images of Starbucks coffee, rainy afternoons, or an endless crowd of grungy flannel shirts. While each of those have certainly cemented their place in the citys ever changing pop-culture, weve got our taste buds locked on a new line of BBQ rub thats looking to re-brand the upper Northwest as the new BBQ hotbed.