Ed Mitchell, a top North Carolina pitmaster and whole-hog specialist, learned how to make vinegar sauce when he was just a child. He says this recipe makes about 1 gallon of sauce, enough to “season” one 150-pound hog, three 18- to 20-pound turkeys or 8 racks of ribs.

1 gallon apple cider vinegar

1 cup red pepper flakes, plus more if needed

1 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus more if needed

1 cup hot sauce (such as True Made Foods Cayenne Hot Sauce), plus more ifneeded

1/2 cup smoked paprika

1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Combine all the ingredients in a container and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes, hot sauce or brown sugar to suit you. Just before applying, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.

— Ed and Ryan Mitchell, “Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque” (Ecco, $37.50)