BBQ Lingo

Black Dip

A darker, more intense variant of Owensboro dip, heavy on Worcestershire and black pepper, served with mutton.

Black dip is the heavier-handed cousin of regular dip. Same Worcestershire-vinegar-pepper backbone, but darker — more Worcestershire, more allspice, sometimes a touch of soy or molasses. It's specifically paired with mutton, where its assertive flavor stands up to the strong meat. Moonlite Bar-B-Q in Owensboro is the most famous purveyor.

Why it matters

It's the only American BBQ sauce purpose-built for a single protein in a single town.

Related Terms

Dip (Western Kentucky)

The Owensboro-style thin Worcestershire-and-vinegar mop and table sauce served over smoked mutton.

Mutton

Meat from a mature sheep (over a year old), the signature smoked protein of Western Kentucky BBQ.

Burgoo

A thick Kentucky BBQ stew of mutton, chicken, pork, vegetables, and spices, simmered for hours.