Noble Made Mustard BBQ
Background
Jason Burke, the founder of The New Primal, grew up with a mother who knew how to cook, and the neighborhood knew it with the family playing perpetual host. So once out of the house and working, when Jason's office vending machine wasn't cutting it for snacks, he began making his own jerky that he kept in his desk. Just like with his mom's cooking, word began to spread around the office of Jason's desk snacks and he soon went from just sharing to taking orders for his jerky. That led him to start up a small business, which became The New Primal in 2012. As the business grew, Jason began expanding into other food areas, bringing the same focus on quality and healthy ingredients to lines of seasonings, dressings, and condiments, which currently includes three different barbecue sauces.
Aroma
The unmistakable pungency of mustard fills the nose of first whiff of this sauce, and its sharp character is made even more so by a strong vinegar tartness and black pepper heat. It's only with a subsequent noseful does a background sweetness come out, along with a spice mixture that adds layers of complexity thanks to its oniony, garlicky, and earthy notes
Thickness & Texture
This glossy orange-yellow sauce's light hue makes it easy to see the tons of spices that are in there, which come in red, black, and white specs of all different sizes. The sauce runs thin with a watery consistency that has a fair amount of texture to it thanks to all the spices. From a suspended spoon, the sauce falls in a very fast, uneven pour that only takes a couple seconds to change to a few quick drips, then one or two slow ones before ceasing and leaving a thin coating of sauce left clinging to the silverware.
Out of the Jar
The first taste is like taking in a spoonful of vinegar. That strong tartness out of the gate only gets more so as the mustard comes in and adds its sharp bite and turns things even more sour. Next, as the sauce settles on the tongue, you get just the faintest hint of sweetness before the spices enter and create a more barbecue-like profile with tastes of garlic, onion, and black pepper. That pepperiness is light at first, but then really adds a bite as the sauce leaves the mouth, adding an extra kick to the heavy tart and pungent flavor that continues to persist for quite some time in the aftertaste.
Slathered & Cooked
This sauce coated the chicken in a thin and even layer that baked down well over indirect heat. The manner in which the sauce baked down gave the chicken a dry appearance. When moved to direct heat, there was minimal caramelization with no sauce loss at all. Like out of the jar, the first bites were pretty much all sour and pungent thanks to the mustard and vinegar duo. It was only after getting a few bites in did the spices start to make themselves known and the leg had a bit more of a nuanced flavor. Still, from start to finish, it was the tartness and sharpness that remained in the forefront, with no sweetness to be had and only a mellow peppery kick close to when the leg was finished. The sauce did has a notably smooth texture, which is not always the case with mustard-based sauces that have a tendency to turn a little gritty when cooked.
Put to Use
I'm sure this sauce has its audience, and there are lovers with glowing reviews I found, but it's just not my cup of tea. I can appreciate a good vinegar sauce and a good mustard sauce—I do live in the Carolinas—but the combo here just left a constant sharp and sour taste in my mouth that I wasn't finding terribly pleasant. I could taste that sauce was made of quality ingredients and that thought was given to the elements that would pair well with mustard, with the spices providing complimentary heat and flavors. I was left wishing that the little bit of sweetness in there was dialed up a couple notches to create a contrast and flavor that would be easier to take in spoonful after spoonful. I did think the sauce worked a bit better off the grill than on, and can see it being a good shortcut to a tasty dressing for coleslaw, potato salad, and the like. The hefty flavor also means it might find its best home with more substantial meats than the chicken I used—I imagine this being an apt condiment for steak sandwiches or burgers. Obviously, these are just my taste buds, and if you consistently think all barbecue sauces are too sweet, this one may just bring a smile to your face.
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Comments
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Susan I am interested in your product do you have samples or coupons