What alternative to worcestershire sauce would you suggest?

by Mick
(Essex. UK)

I am desperate to try your idea for Texas Smoked Brisket, but I need to substitute the Worcestershire sauce with something else.

I have had a life-long hatred for it and can't be near it because the smell makes me wretch.

Any ideas please?

Answer
Hi Mick,
It's a good question. Not only is Worcestershire sauce in my Texas Smoked Brisket it's also a key ingredient in many of my homemade barbecue sauce recipes too.

There are two main reasons for wanting to avoid Worcestershire sauce and they are for those that have a gluten intolerance and others (like you) that simply don't like it.

To answer the last point first, if you don't like it, why have a substitute because you're probably not going to like that either? Just leave it out.

Now to the gluten issue.

Worcestershire sauce contains vinegar brewed from barley and this is where coeliac or gluten intolerant people have a problem. Barley contains gluten.

To be fair, I've had a conversation with my local vinegar manufacturer about the relative concentration of gluten in malt vinegar (malt also contains gluten) and their analysis shows it to be at less than 30 parts per million ie. trace levels.

That said, my daughter has a gluten intolerance and I know that she reacts badly to Worcestershire sauce so we have to have a gluten free alternative.

Many alternative recipes start with soy sauce...which also contains gluten. You can get gluten free soy sauce but it's mega expensive and you can make an alternative to Worcestershire sauce without using soy sauce.

This is my favourite gluten free recipe to use as an alternative to Worcestershire sauce:

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
  
• A pinch of cloves
  
• A pinch of garlic powder
  
• A splash of chilli sauce

Just mix and shake. Replace Worcestershire sauce in any recipe measure for measure with this concoction and you won't go far wrong.

Cheers
Paul