Local Treasures: Motor City Barbecue

You will find this Local Treasure at the Royal Oak Farmers’ Market, 316 E 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak MI open Saturdays from 7 am – pm and at the Warren Farmers Market, 1 Market Square in Warren, MI on Sundays from 9 am -3 pm.

It’s no secret that we like to support our fellow vendors. As soon as we started selling at area farmers’ markets we started trying out the other products that we found there. We started out doing this because we like supporting other small businesses. But by doing so we found some amazing new products.

So many of these businesses started off with a passion for the product that was created. When someone is passionate about their products, it shows. In a food product, you can literally taste it.

So today we are showcasing one of the first products that we tried when joining the farmers’ market circuit, which has since become a staple in our pantries: Motor City Barbecue.

Motor City Barbecue was present at the market on the very first day we had a booth for Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. They offered samples of their products, and as Maura was making pork that night so she decided to try out two of their flavors after sampling them. She chose Meat Candy, their signature sauce which adds a fantastic sweetness to your meats. This was perfect for her husband, as he doesn’t prefer spice. She also picked up some Holy Smokes for herself, which has a lot of the same elements of Meat Candy, but with more of a kick.

She raved about it! So the next time we were at the market I picked up the same sauces. I brought them home and started using them on everything that week. The Meat Candy is so aptly named because it really did have a rich sweetness to it without losing the spice profile that makes it a fantastic barbecue sauce. I loved the smokiness of the Holy Smokes and it became a staple on my sandwiches and with anything I could dip (like potato chips and fries) that week.

My son, a fan of spice, enjoyed the Holy Smokes, but wanted more of a kick. So I picked up their next level of heat: Scorpion. He dipped everything in it. And would literally eat it with a spoon. When he found out there was another level of heat available, called Trinity, he had to try it. He is only 10, so I decided I had better try it first. Now, I am not shy of spice, I get my Thai food spiced hot most days, but this sauce got me. There was an immediate heat that hits you out of nowhere. And when that fades there is a moderate burn that sticks with you for a while. But I knew he’d love it. so I got him a bottle and thought it would get him for sure.

He tried it and claims while he could feel the heat he could handle it! And would also eat that with a spoon. So now he enjoys both, but Scorpion is the bottle he reaches for most.

So, he’s a fan. We haven’t been to the farmers’ markets in a while and he is bugging me to head back up to restock because we have come to use these sauces in and on everything.

We highly recommend stopping by and sampling these sauces. You will not regret it. Visit them at the Royal Oak and Warren Farmers’ Markets or online.

We thought we’d share some of our favorite ways we use Motor City Barbecue:

Barbecue Chicken Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips

1-2 cups shredded chicken

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 diced onion

1 cup Motor City Barbecue of your choice (we usually use Holy Smokes or Scorpion)

Sometimes we add crumbled bacon (this usually applies to any recipe we make, though)

Lay out the chips on a cookie sheet and top with all of the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Best pulled pork sandwich EVER

I like to smoke large pork butts or shoulders on the weekends so we can use them for sandwiches or burritos throughout the week. We do a variety of pairings, but the barbecue sauce always make it in. Here is our favorite combination:

¼- ½ cup pulled pork

Shredded cheddar cheese (use as much as you’d like to consume, but the cheese also helps hld th sandwich together)

Scorpion Barbecue Sauce (we like the heat, but it is good with the smokiness of Holy Smokes too)

2 slices sourdough or a rustic semolina (denser breads work better as the pork can be heavy and you need a bread that holds up)

Olive oil to brush on the bread.

I spread oil on the sides of the bread that will touch the grill first. Then construct the sandwich by laying down the pork first, the barbecue sauce next, than sprinkle the cheese over it. If I am using Scorpion, I put a small layer of sour cream on the top piece of bread because I just love the way the sour cream mixes with the heat. I place that top bread, sour cream down.

I heat up my countertop griddler, and cook it panini style for 6 minutes on medium. I have made them in the oven too. In the oven, I would use the broiler and watch carefully, flipping every 2 minutes.