Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

In the Carolinas, where barbecue is all about pork, the sauces that pitmasters pair with smoked hog tend to adhere to the following blueprint: high acidity to cut through the fattiness of the meat, with a touch of sweetness for balance, and background heat that sneaks up on you on the finish.In Lexington, North Carolina, the self-proclaimed barbecue capital of the world, the sauce of choice is a close relative of the vinegar-based style found in coastal Eastern North Carolina. Here, that signature sharp acidic bite is softened with a little extra sweetness from ketchup that also lends savory depth to the sauce. If you’re looking for a perky pork-friendly barbecue sauce that doesn’t pull any punches, this is it.

Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce