Sossen Eckart Grill Sauce. A barbecue sauce made from tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and mustard – mild, suitable for everyday use, and hand-cooked in Berlin.
Sossen Eckart Grill Sauce is a mild barbecue sauce made from tomato purée, raw cane sugar, onions, red wine vinegar, and mustard powder, rounded off with Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Thomas Eckart cooks it by hand in Berlin. 250 ml, zero chilies on his heat scale.
A barbecue sauce that you can even put on a breakfast egg? That is exactly what Eckart says about his No. 3. At its core, barbecue sauce is a tomato-based condiment with a sweet and sour taste that adds seasoning and juiciness to grilled food. It is on the table at almost every barbecue, usually next to the ketchup and mustard. Compared to ketchup, it offers more acidity, onion, and spices, often including mustard or Worcestershire sauce as well. Grill Sauce by Eckart follows this exact template. He describes it himself as suitable for everyday use, and that is spot on: It is the go-to variety for every day at the grill.
Sweet, tart, and backed by mustard
Tomato purée and raw cane sugar give the sauce a fruity, rounded sweetness. Red wine vinegar provides a counterpoint, making it fresh. Onions and garlic add savory depth. Thanks to the cooking process, it is thick and rich in flavor.
Mustard powder provides a mild spiciness in the background, while Worcestershire sauce adds a salty depth. There are no chilies in it, which is why the sauce is at zero on Eckart's scale. It is precisely this balance that makes it so versatile at the grill. If you are expecting a smoky BBQ sauce, the Whiskey variety is a better choice.
For grilling, frying, and spreading
Eckart sees the sauce as a companion for grilled and fried foods. It belongs on the table as a dip for bratwurst, pork neck steaks, and grilled chicken drumsticks. It is just as suitable for meatballs or schnitzel from the pan. For fries, it is a more flavorful alternative to ketchup.
For skewers made of pork neck and bell peppers, brush the meat shortly before the end of the grilling time. The same works for chicken drumsticks on a baking tray in the oven. On a burger, it takes the place of both ketchup and mustard.
According to Eckart, some people even use it as a spread. On a slice of farmhouse bread with cold roast or cold cuts, it replaces mustard and butter.
Our tip: Try a dollop on a hard-boiled breakfast egg. Eckart says that even an egg is not safe from this sauce.
Note: The sauce contains mustard, barley from malt vinegar, and fish in the form of anchovies from the Worcestershire sauce. Once opened, the bottle should be kept in the refrigerator, where it will keep for many weeks, according to the manufacturer.
Why there are anchovies in a barbecue sauce
A look at the ingredients reveals a decision Thomas Eckart made consciously. He states that he uses the highest-quality Worcestershire sauce he can find. Instead of flavor enhancers, it contains a small amount of anchovies. Artificial flavor enhancers have no place in his sauces, he says.
His sauces have been produced in Berlin since 2009, where the Munich native has long since made his home. He cooks by hand, together with his team, and lets the sauce reduce rather than adding water. The tomato is added to the bottle as purée and paste; sweetness comes from raw cane sugar. His face is on the label, next to the note "Handmade in Berlin."
For everyday grilling and the whole family
The Grill Sauce is for anyone looking for a reliable sauce for every barbecue evening. Because it is mild, it is also suitable for family meals with children. If you are trying an Eckart sauce for the first time, this variety is a great place to start. It is a safe choice as a gift for a barbecue party, and definitely for anyone who likes to eat their breakfast egg a little differently.
If you prefer a little more heat, choose the Hot Grill Sauce with four types of chilies. For steak, there is the fruity-spicy Steak Sauce. You can see the entire range on the Eckart page. Because of the anchovies, it is not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets, nor for those with allergies to mustard, barley, or fish.
A mild barbecue sauce made from tomato, red wine vinegar, and mustard, hand-cooked in Berlin – for bratwurst, pork neck steak, and your breakfast egg.
