Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue KC Original Sauce (4/5)
I was in Kansas City recently and I got to experience the “full” Jack Stack treatment. Many times, the sauces I try are merely a snippet in the life of a larger BBQ empire. This one, a KC classic, came highly recommended by my friend Paul who lives in the area. From the menu, I got a “pick two” Kansas City Combo and chose burnt ends (fantastic) and the pork ribs (very good)… both cooked in a brick oven over hickory wood. Their appetizers also scored big - we got the cheesy corn, hickory pit beans, and french fries for the table. Of course we good two big bowls of original and spicy BBQ sauces.
From their website: A passion for barbecue. Dedication to distinctive quality and taste from our signature hickory-fired brick ovens. A commitment to extraordinary service. And a promise to give you the finest barbecue dining experience you’ve ever encountered. For the past 50 years, Jack Stack has set the standard for premier barbecue in Kansas City and across the country. Prepare to be impressed.
So I got some sauce to go and recently made up some chicken and kielbasa on the grill, so, as I say here quite often, on to the review!
Smell/Aroma
Excellent. Very natural scent, a traditional KC-style BBQ sauce scent.
Before Cooking Flavor
Good. Tastes sweet and tangy - a nice mix of tomato, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and spices. Nothing odd or unnatural. That said, nothing unique or extremely remarkable either. A good safe bet.
Consistency
Not too thin, not too thick. Just right.
After Cooking Flavor
Although this sauce really hit the mark on the pork and burnt ends in the restaurant, I found the real magic in the restaurant to happen “around the sauce,” meaning the sauce was simply the topping on an already flavorful plate of meat. They spiced and then slow cooked the meat, really enhancing the flavor and boosting the overall package. My chicken was a little less flavorful and less exciting than it could have been (even for a straightforward KC style sauce), but the kielbasa really shined when used with this sauce. I like to cut kielbasa into 4 inch long segments, all sliced lengthwise (kinda like you might slice a hotdog bun) so that they could cook quickly and easily. As usual, I applied the sauce around the 75% mark during the grilling. And I loved the way kielbasa tasted after this sauce.
Ingredients
Water, Tomato Paste, Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Hot Sauce, Dehydrated Garlic and Onion, Molasses, Natural Flavor, Worcestershire Sauce, Modifed Food Starch, Caramel Color, Garlic Powder, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, Spice Extractives, Sodium Benzoate (preservative). GLUTEN FREE. NO MSG,
Bonus points: No HFCS (high fructose corn syrup, the wonder ingredient sometimes blamed for the fattening of America), No Glutens.
Calories 30
Total Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 280mg
Carbs 6g
Protein 1g
Marketing and Packaging
Slick packaging that complement their overall brand. Nicely executed. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in stores near me (Boston area).
Related Website
Jack Stack BBQ (Order Ribs, Burnt Ends, Brisket Online!)
Ordering Information
