What Makes Missouri BBQ Sauce Different?

Missouri is the Show-Me State, and when it comes to barbecue, people here want proof on the plate. The state is home to two of the best-known barbecue cities in the country, Kansas City and St. Louis. Show-Me® Bar-B-Q Sauce has been made in the middle of the state, between the two, since 1975.

Kansas City style: thick, sweet and smoky

When most Americans picture barbecue sauce, they picture the Kansas City style. It is thick and tomato-based, sweetened with brown sugar or molasses, and balanced with vinegar and spices. It is made to cling to ribs, chicken and burnt ends and to caramelize over the heat. Kansas City is also known for smoking just about everything, from brisket and pork to chicken and sausage, so the sauce has to go with all of it.

St. Louis: ribs, pork steaks and a tangier sauce

St. Louis gave its name to a cut, the trimmed St. Louis-style spare rib, and it is famous for grilled pork steaks. St. Louis-style sauce is often described as a little thinner and tangier than Kansas City's, and less sweet. It is meant for the grill as much as the smoker.

Mid-Missouri and the Show-Me® way

Show-Me® started in 1975 in the basement of Harry and Lina Berrier's home outside Columbia, roughly halfway between the two cities. Harry, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Missouri, made the sauce because he wasn't happy with what he could buy at the store. That recipe is still the heart of Show-Me® Classic.

Classic is thick, sweet and smoky, with tangy ketchup, brown sugar and a blend of spices, so it will feel familiar to anyone raised on Kansas City-style sauce. It's made with no high fructose corn syrup and no preservatives. Harry used his chemistry background to give the sauce a pH below 4, so it doesn't need refrigeration and can sit on the table or next to the smoker. Older bottles and reviews call it "Show-Me Liquid Smoke Bar-B-Q Sauce", a nod to the smoky flavor longtime fans know.

Pick your heat

• Classic is the original, and it's mild on purpose, so it works for everyone at the table.
• 'Some Heat' adds capsicum frutescens, a hot chile pepper, for a gentle kick that stays at the front of your tongue.
• Habanero adds dehydrated habaneros for a bolder burn that lingers without overpowering your food.

How to use a thick Missouri sauce

• Glaze late. Sauces with brown sugar can scorch, so brush them on during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking and let each coat set before adding the next.
• Cook with it. Stir it into baked beans, mix it into meatloaf, or toss it with pulled pork.
• Dip and drizzle. Serve it warm on the side for wings, fries, sandwiches and grilled vegetables.
• Pair it with a rub. Season with Show-Me® Bar-B-Q Rub before cooking and finish with sauce for layers of flavor.

Recipes to try

Put it to work with our smoked ribs, brisket burnt ends, Show-Me® Bar-B-Q Meatloaf and 'Some Heat' baked beans. Then taste why we say, "Have a bite n' see."