BBQ sauce like a chinese takeaway -store bought or recipe

rubadub

Anybody know where I can get a BBQ sauce like a chinese takeaway, the one they put on ribs or just get in a pot, usually red/brown coloured. I know bensons curry sauce is very similar to most chinese curry sauce so am hoping their might be an off the shelf sauce which is similar. None of the BBQ sauces you get in the ketchup sections in supermarkets are anything like it.

Or is there a recipe? most BBQ sauce recipes I see are also more like the ketchup style BBQ sauces.

olaola

I think they usually use Hoi Sin sauce? You can get it in tins in the Chinese shops, I think Amoy do it. It's great for marinading and it's really thick.

rubadub

olaola wrote: »

I think they usually use Hoi Sin sauce?

I got sharwoods hoi sin but it is quite different, well different from my local chinese places BBQ sauce. I only noticed it the other day in my fridge as I have not gone near it in ages I will try it again. I might try mixing it with other sauces.

The hoi sin had a distinct taste, I cannot remember what it was though
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoisin_sauce

Mandarin-style Hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat or rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents

http://www.sharwoods.com/Chinese/products/sharwoods-hoi-sin-sauce.cfm

Ingredients:
Water, Sugar, Concentrated Tomato Puree, White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Soy Beans, Modified Starch, Onion Puree, Garlic Puree, Wheat Flour, Five Spice, Toasted Sesame Oil, Colour: Ammonia Caramel; Chilli Powder

I think it must have been the 5-spice, I am not a big fan of star anise

olaola

I find the one you buy in regular shops is more the ketchup of the hoi sin world. The chinese stuff is quite potent, thick and nearly grainy. I'd say you'd marinade about 30 pieces of chicken with a tin. Maybe more -it's pretty concentrated stuff. But I'd say whatever you're looking for, it will prob be in some Chinese shop.

rubadub

I think you are spot on now, thanks. I got some sauce from another chinese today and I can now taste the 5 spice, it is not overpowering but more than in my other locals. I tasted it alongside the sharwoods and it does taste quite similar to me now -I still would like less star anise flavour, I think I saw it in the ingredients and had my mind made up to be wary! also I think the difference is I was eating the sharwoods cold from the fridge, dipping things in it when it should be heated to be the same.

I will have to take a trip to the asian shop, I prefer to go to busy ones in the city centre on saturdays, that way if there are lots of brands you can stand back and see what the actual asians are picking.

dubh101

A chinese guy I worked with did this,in a pot mix hoi sin,brown sauce kechup brown sugar and chinese 5 spice thin with water and bring too boil,then thicken with corn flour,strange but true.:D