Carolina Gold Mustard
One would think there would be no simpler recipe than this one: Mix Carolina Gold BBQ Rub with water to desired consistency, and then eat. But no. Making homemade mustard does come with a few things to consider. First, we’ll provide the basic mix, and then give notes with the cooking instructions.
This is a very, very basic homemade mustard and is very easy to batch up. Simply double as needed. Feel free to add ingredients to personalize the flavor; further detail is provided in the notes below.
1/4 cup Carolina Gold BBQ Rub
2 Tablespoons water, or more as necessary
1. Combine ingredients in a non-reactive container. Blend together to desired consistency, adding water in small increments to prevent it from getting too runny.
2. When mustard is combined to preferred thickness, let it sit, covered, on a counter, for 15 minutes to allow it to develop its full flavor.
3. Serve. This is a beautiful accompaniment for Carolina Gold Smoked Pork Shoulder.
This blend can create a very spicy, pungent mustard, with notes of horseradish that emerge because mustard is a horseradish relative and brown mustard can deliver that same spicy, pinching bite. There are ways to manage the heat in a homemade mustard sauce.
Cold water will create a hotter mustard, because cold water activates the chemicals in the mustard. Heat disrupts this chemical reaction, so to make a hotter mustard, use cold water. If you want your mustard to be on the mellower side, use warm water. The spicy reaction will also mellow if you use the mustard during cooking.
Acids will also help keep the mustard from getting too hot, since acid interrupts the heat-building reaction. You can make your mustard with cider vinegar or wine to introduce an acidic element.
Spicy mustard peaks in heat about 15 minutes after it’s mixed and then the heat will naturally start to decline. If you want to serve mustard at its most pungent, serve right away. If you want to give it a chance to let the flavors mingle and have some of its natural bitterness fade, let it sit overnight before serving. You can also mix it with sugar or honey to taste to create a sweeter product that cuts off the bitter edge, or stir in flavoring agents like tarragon, thyme, roasted garlic, dill seed, or maple syrup.
