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Not exactly barbecue primal, Minnesota still boasts a solid number of local, high-quality charcoal-broil sauces. Good news, considering nothing ruins a night of grilling faster than the crummy, glorified ketchup of near mass-marketed sauces (a notable exception being Sweet Baby Ray's). A trip to Linden Hills Co-op and Lunds turned up the following v sauces, all locally produced.

Demon Grunter ($6 for 13 oz.) – Fabricated in Informal Point, MN, the mild version won second place in the National Barbecue Association's 2009 contest in the "Tomato Balmy" category. This sauce, much sweeter and with a strong vinegar taste, wasn't peppery and was chock full of tiny onion and light-green pepper chunks. This sauce would exist great on poultry or pork and, with Wee Willy'due south, was the best among the five.

Ken Davis ($ii.xix for 17 oz.) – A stalwart from a former Minneapolis jazzman and restauranteur, St. Louis Park-based Ken Davis doesn't try too hard just does the trick. It smells like a charcoal fire and has no extremes — balmy gustation and spice. This sauce would be great in small quantities with ribs or slathered on a craven sandwich. It'southward a very solid, everyday sauce you won't get tired of, and at $ii.19 a jar, a existent value. In this visitor, though, it'due south overshadowed. But for one-third the price, what the heck. Keep a jar in the pantry.

D own Under Blackberry Chipotle (Cost varied, $three.99-$5.39 for 16 oz.) – From South Minneapolis, this nighttime, thick sauce hits you lot hard with a deep yet not too spicy estrus. Perfect for beef, merely pork or poultry probably wouldn't work. This sauce is ketchup-based with no vinegar and would be better with less pepper and / or chili powder. In fairness, information technology's not really directly-up barbecue sauce but more of a niche meat sauce, then don't buy this expecting anything resembling traditional barbecue sauce. Yet for a special twist, say with little smokies or for dipping, this sauce is definitely worth a try. It won first place at the 2009 Big Isle BBQ contest in Albert Lea.

Triple Crown ($four.29 for 14 oz.) – A three-time winner at the Minnesota State Off-white, Triple Crown from Frederic, WI, smells like beef jerky and is slightly sweet and smoky. It won't overpower the meat, notwithstanding contains anchovy, which could be the ingredient behind the unique tang / meat flavor. This sauce is intensely rich and volition add a subtle sophistication to anything. A very solid sauce.

Wee Willy'southward ($iv.29 for 18 oz.) – From Afton, this sauce screams "tang." A legitimate aftertaste sticks to the back of your throat. This thinner, salty sauce had the best balance of flavors: vinegar, sugar, smoke. Seize with teeth after bite, the flavors seemed to expand. Put this sauce on a chicken chest and you'll forget how dry the meat is. With Demon Pig, the Jack Daniel'south Earth Title-winning Wee Willy'southward volition be a permanent and versatile add-on to the fridge. On pork roast, information technology'south stellar.