The Murky, Salty Mystery of Worcestershire Sauce

[DGUtley]

The Murky, Salty Mystery of Worcestershire Sauce



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Culinarily ubiquitous and a perpetual tongue-twister, Worcestershire sauce is one of the great food enigmas of the past two centuries. Inky brown, sweet and salty, funky and fishy, peppery and piquant, the sauce’s exact ingredient list was kept secret ever since it was first sold in Worcester, England, in the mid-19th century.

The mystery that originally shrouded Worcestershire sauce has continued to propel its popularity around the world. According to one research firm, the global Worcestershire market was valued at more than $950 million in 2022. That figure may seem far-fetched until you examine just how much people love this perplexing condiment—touted as “the only good sauce” and “applicable to every variety of dish” in one 19th-century advertisement—most likely without knowing what’s in it or how it’s made.

In fact, I’m willing to bet you’ve got a bottle of the perennially popular stuff tucked into a corner of your kitchen cupboards at this very moment—perhaps purchased for a platter of deviled eggs, a weeknight meatloaf, or a classic Bloody Mary. Such is the long arm of Worcestershire.


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https://www.epicurious.com/ingredien...1-64e9f8c4c282

[Peter1469]

I marinate steak with that stuff.

[blackjack21]

Yep. It's awesome.

How is it made? It's positively disgusting. They basically pickle onions, garlic, and sardines in separate barrels over a year. The juice from that is blended--in ratios that are a trade secret. I believe they add a bit of salt, vinegar, and brown sugar.

I'm actually famed among my friends for bbq'ing tritip. My secret is so simple, and though I tell everyone what it is, they rarely do it themselves with the same care.

1. Get some tritips from Costco. Prime is better than choice, but both work. Don't get the pre-seasoned ones.
2. Coat both sides with Montreal Steak Seasoning as a rub.
3. Spray Worcester sauce on both sides. You can apply it multiple times as it gets absorbed into the meat.
4. Let it marinate. You can do this for at least 15 minutes or even overnight.
5. Bring it up to room temperature before cooking, which means you need to take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking.
6. Get your bbq to about 500F.
7. Cook it on both sides for about 12 minutes per side.
8. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
9. Slice.

Okay, now for a few more trade secrets.

Amazon has Worcestershire sauce by the gallon

Get some spray bottles.

I put Worcestershire sauce into spray bottles and mist it on to the meat so I cover every bit of it.

What is Montreal steak seasoning? It's basically coarse salt, red and black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.

It makes it quite easy. You just use two ingredients, and everyone thinks you're some kind of cooking genius.