Everything Basting Sauce

Basting sauce for grill
Lauri Patterson / Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Serving: 1 to 2 servings
Yield: 1 quart

This versatile sauce can be used on any recipe that calls for a basting sauce or mop. If you're looking to add some extra kick to your next meat cooking session, this sauce has it all. A tangy profile from apple cider vinegar receives a delicious lift from garlic and crushed pepper. A variety of dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves gives the sauce a beautifully vibrant and earthy profile. This sauce is the perfect complement to all meats, as it enhances their natural flavors and creates an outer crust that makes your meats truly mouthwatering bites. This great sauce takes just 15 minutes to make and can be used on any poultry, pork, beef, or fish recipe that calls for basting. Use this sauce right away and dispose of any unused sauce that has been in contact with raw meat, unless you bring it to a heavy boil for a few minutes.

If you are not familiar with basting, this is a classic cooking technique in which a liquid, be it fat, a rich broth, or a combination of both, is used to keep any kind of meat moist whilst it cooks. When done in the oven, the juice you use to pour back on top of the meat is the fat and liquid that the meat itself renders because of the heat. Think of a Thanksgiving turkey and the liquid that collects at the bottom of the pan. When done on the stove you use additional juices or fat, such as butter to baste scallops or fish, and when done on the grill you are also introducing an additional liquid on top of the meat by using a brush or mop. In all cases, what basting does is introduce moisture and flavor into the meat of choice while allowing for proper cooking. Our sauce does precisely that. While adding flavor, the sauce also keeps the meat moist and juicy, which is why basting is one of the favorite go-to techniques of professional chefs and seasoned home cooks.

To use this sauce, you can choose between a mop or a brush, but it all comes down to the type of meat you are dealing with and the density of the sauce. For thicker sauces, a brush is perfect, especially when used on smaller cuts of meat. It also makes less mess and allows you to add the sauce with precision. The mop, on the other hand, holds more liquid and so requires fewer passes on the meat for it to deposit enough liquid. Great with thin and thick sauces alike, it's preferred by many cooks because it's more absorbent, the downside being it is messier and the sauce will get all over if not used with care. Disposable brushes exist, sold with a handle and many one-use mop heads.

Ingredients

  • 1 quart apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

  • 6 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1 teaspoon rosemary

  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.

  3. Cover and allow to cool completely before applying to meat. This sauce can be used with any recipe that calls for a basting sauce.

  4. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
121 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 to 2
Amount per serving
Calories 121
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1532mg 67%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 70mg 5%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 430mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)