Barbecue bastes

[Oregon Bill]

Well, I'm dang sure they didn't have soy sauce at the mercantile, and probably woulda looked at you funny if you asked where they were hidin'
the Worcestershire. So what would a Plains cosie have done to baste his buffalo ribs on a slow, closed in fire?

[Delmonico]

Surprise. Worchestershire sauce shows up on grocery list back to at least the 1820's and most likely even further back, imported from England it was pricey but could be found in well stocked stores.  The same goes for A-1, imported before the American Revaloution.

I've never seen any referance to Ocidentals using it, but many towns in the west had a Chinese population so it could be obtained if you wanted.

Most BBQ of the time though used just dry rubs.

[Oregon Bill]

Thanks, Del: I used a dry herb rub on a brisket and a rack of pork ribs in the kettle, smoking for three hours, then foil wrapping and baking another three hours keeping temps below 275. Ribs were fab, but the brisket was a bit dry, so thought a period baste might help, although I suspect Webers and foil were scarce articles in the day!
P.S. Sure like your article on sweeteners in the new Shootist.

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[oscar]

Del: Where do you get access to grocery lists you speak of from the 1820's Just curious. Nebraska State Historical Society?
That is one cool place.

Oscar,

[Delmonico]

The 1820's lists were in a book I have, I'll dig up the title later.  It had lists of grocerys that the folks up to Ft. Snelling could order from St. Louis.  May from the 1840's and 1850's are in books on the Oregon Trail.  I looked over a lot of newspapers ads from the 1870's to 1890' in the arcives at NSHS.

There is no one good source I get bits and pieces everywhere to this crazy puzzle.  Often I have used the 1-800 number on food labels and have connected to company historian.