In my years of cooking at barbecue competitions, I’ve noticed that judges’ barbecue taste preferences follow trends. In the 1990s, barbecue coated with semisweet tomato-based sauce or even a vinegar sop mop appealed to the average judge. As the years passed the consistent winners on the circuit were using a very sweet tomato-based sauce. These rich glazes started a new trend in competition, whereby most all competitors started sweetening their sauce. The following recipe is one of my favorite sauces, which I still use in competition as a sweet glaze for pork ribs. This glaze falls in line with the “sweet” trend but still delivers a flavor that doesn’t overpower the pork.

Ingredients

　　1 1/4 cups Big Bob Gibson Championship red sauce (available at retail outlets)

　　1/3 cup honey

　　1/4 cup Big Bob Gibson Habanero red sauce

　　2 tablespoons Blackberry Jam

　　Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Make at least 24 hours prior to usage for best flavor. Store the sauce in a tightly covered jar for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

　　Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Lilly. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Vice president, executive chef, and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Chris Lilly oversees the two company-owned restaurants as well as their new chain of franchises.