The Sides & Sauces That Complete The Perfect BBQ

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Thomas Joseph Butchery — The Complete BBQ Guide

The Sides & Sauces That Complete the Perfect BBQ


Summer 2025  •  By the TJB Team

You've got the cuts. Now let's talk about everything else on the table. The right sauce or side can elevate premium meat to something truly memorable — and the wrong one can do it a disservice. Here's our definitive guide to what to serve alongside your TJB order this summer.

← Also read: The TJB BBQ Series — Vol. 1, Vol. 2 & Premium Cuts

Great meat is the star. But every star needs a supporting cast. At Thomas Joseph Butchery, we've spent years pairing our cuts with sauces, sides and accompaniments that genuinely complement them — that draw out their character rather than compete with it. This isn't a list of generic BBQ sides. Everything here has been chosen specifically to work with TJB's cuts, from the Dry-Aged Tomahawk to the Grass-Fed Lamb Koftas. Get the sides right, and the whole BBQ comes alive.

"The right sauce doesn't overshadow the meat — it holds a conversation with it. Choose wisely and everything on the table tastes better."

Sauces & Sides for the TJB Steak Range

Our grass-fed, dry-aged steaks — the ribeye, bavette, T-bone and tomahawk — have a depth of flavour that deserves accompaniments with personality. Here's what we reach for.

Best with Bavette, Ribeye & Tomahawk

Proper Chimichurri

Chimichurri is arguably the greatest steak sauce ever made — and it's especially brilliant against the bold, beefy character of our Grass-Fed Bavette. The loose grain of bavette soaks it up beautifully, and the acidity of the red wine vinegar cuts cleanly through the richness of the fat. It works just as well spooned generously over a carved Tomahawk at the table. Make it the day before if you can — it only gets better overnight.

What You'll Need

  • Large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Small bunch of fresh oregano
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped (deseeded for less heat)
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 6 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Flaky sea salt & cracked black pepper

Combine everything, taste and adjust the acid with more vinegar or lemon. It should be punchy, herby and bright — not timid. Spoon liberally over carved steak at the table and keep the rest in a jar for the week.

Best with T-Bone, Ribeye & Galician Cuts

Classic Béarnaise

If chimichurri is for the bold, béarnaise is for the refined. A properly made béarnaise — silky, tarragon-scented, rich with butter — is the natural companion to our T-Bone and our Dry-Aged Galician Ribeye. The sauce's buttery richness mirrors and amplifies the golden fat of the Galician breed without overwhelming it. It requires patience and a steady hand, but there are few things more rewarding at a BBQ table.

What You'll Need

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 200g unsalted butter, clarified
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 50ml white wine vinegar
  • 50ml dry white wine
  • Fresh tarragon, finely chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt & white pepper

Reduce the shallots, vinegar and wine until nearly dry. Cool slightly, then whisk in egg yolks over a bain-marie until thick and pale. Slowly emulsify in the clarified butter, finish with fresh tarragon, lemon and seasoning. Serve immediately or keep warm.

🔥 TJB Tip

For our Sublime Butter fans — our Sublime Béarnaise Butter and Chimichurri Butter, both churned in Somerset, are the shortcut that doesn't feel like one. Slice a disc directly onto your resting steak and let it melt into the crust. It's a two-minute move that adds serious restaurant-level finish.

What to Serve Alongside

Best with Tomahawk, T-Bone & Ribeye

Whipped Bone Marrow Butter Potatoes

Forget standard mash. Take floury potatoes — Maris Piper or King Edward — boil until completely tender, then pass through a ricer while still hot. Beat in a generous amount of good butter, a splash of warm cream, roasted bone marrow scooped from split marrow bones, and season aggressively with salt. The result is something so rich and indulgent it can genuinely stand up to a Dry-Aged Tomahawk without being overshadowed. Serve in a warm bowl with a drizzle of good olive oil and a crack of pepper on top.

Best with All Steaks

Grilled Hispi Cabbage with Anchovy Butter

Hispi cabbage — also known as pointed or sweetheart cabbage — is one of the great unsung BBQ vegetables. Halve it through the root, brush generously with olive oil, and cook cut-side down directly on the grill until deeply charred and caramelised. Finish with a simple anchovy butter (softened butter blended with finely chopped anchovies, garlic and lemon) melted over the top while hot. The umami hit from the anchovy is a natural companion to well-aged beef and takes under ten minutes to prepare. It looks dramatic, costs almost nothing, and always draws compliments.


Sauces & Sides for Poulet Jaune, Skewers & Belly Strips

Best with Poulet Jaune & Marinated Chicken Skewers

Roasted Garlic & Lemon Aioli

Our Poulet Jaune Black Prestige has a depth of flavour that most chicken simply doesn't possess — so it needs a sauce with enough character to match it without overpowering it. A proper roasted garlic aioli does exactly that. Roast a whole head of garlic until completely soft and caramelised, then squeeze into a blender with egg yolks, Dijon, lemon juice and a slow stream of good olive oil until you have a thick, golden emulsion. Season well. It's rich, garlicky, faintly sweet from the roasting, and absolutely brilliant with grilled chicken.

What You'll Need

  • 1 whole head of garlic, roasted until soft
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 200ml light olive oil
  • Salt & white pepper

Blend the roasted garlic with yolks, mustard and lemon. Slowly stream in the oil until emulsified and thick. Season generously. Serve in a bowl alongside the chicken for dipping or spoon it over the carved bird at the table.

Best with Belly Strips & Iberico Pork

Grilled Corn with Miso & Chilli Butter

Corn on the cob, grilled directly over charcoal until the kernels blister and char, is one of the finest BBQ sides there is — and it's especially good alongside our free-range belly strips. The sweetness of the corn against the rich, rendered pork fat is a combination that needs no further explanation. Take it further with a compound butter made from softened butter, white miso, fresh chilli, a squeeze of lime and a little honey. Brush it liberally over the corn as it comes off the heat and let it soak in. Finish with flaky salt and fresh coriander. Simple, seasonal and completely addictive.


Sides & Sauces for Koftas, Kebabs & Minted Lamb Burgers

Best with Lamb Koftas, Kebabs & Minted Lamb Burgers

Whipped Feta & Herb Yoghurt

Our Grass-Fed Lamb Koftas and Minted Lamb Kebabs are made for a Middle Eastern-inspired spread, and nothing anchors that table better than a generous bowl of whipped feta and herb yoghurt. The tang of the feta mirrors the fresh mint in the koftas and cuts through the richness of the lamb, while the yoghurt cools the palate between bites. It takes five minutes to make, travels well, and doubles as a dip for warm flatbreads throughout the meal.

What You'll Need

  • 200g good quality feta, crumbled
  • 200g full-fat Greek yoghurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh mint & dill, finely chopped
  • Flaky salt & cracked black pepper

Blend the feta and yoghurt together until smooth and creamy. Stir in lemon, garlic and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Spread onto a plate, scatter with extra herbs and a pinch of smoked paprika. Serve immediately alongside warm flatbreads and your lamb of choice.

Best with Minted Lamb Burgers

Fattoush Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

A sharp, crunchy fattoush salad is the perfect counterpoint to the rich, fatty depth of our Minted Lamb Burgers. Chopped cucumber, vine tomatoes, radish, red onion, fresh parsley and mint, tossed with toasted pitta bread and dressed with pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and a good glug of olive oil. The sweetness of the pomegranate against the heat of the grill and the freshness of the lamb is a combination that genuinely elevates the whole plate. Make it at the last minute so the pitta stays crisp.

🔥 TJB Tip — The Flatbread Rule

Always have warm flatbreads on the table when serving lamb. Not as an afterthought — as an essential. Grill them directly over the coals for thirty seconds per side while your lamb rests. They char, puff slightly and pick up that woodsmoke character that ties the whole spread together. Serve with your whipped feta, a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of fresh herbs.


Sauces That Do Justice to the TJB Burger Range

Best with Wagyu x Galician & The O.G. Burger

TJB Smash Sauce

The Wagyu x Galician Burger is a 250g patty of extraordinary quality — and the one thing it doesn't need is a sauce that competes with it. What it does need is something that complements the umami depth of the Wagyu and the aged richness of the Galician beef. Our TJB Smash Sauce does exactly that: a simple blend of good quality mayonnaise, American mustard, a touch of ketchup, finely diced gherkin, a little smoked paprika and white wine vinegar. It's a sauce that knows its place — it enhances rather than overwhelms, and it keeps the burger firmly at the centre of attention where it belongs.

What You'll Need

  • 4 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp American mustard
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp finely diced gherkins
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, stir well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavour develops as it sits — make it the morning of your BBQ and it'll be perfect by the time the coals are lit.


⭐ Don't Forget — Sublime Butters

The Simplest Upgrade on the Table

For any of the above cuts, our range of Sublime Butters — all churned at Brue Valley Farm in Somerset — are the fastest route to restaurant-level finishing. Slice a generous disc directly onto your resting meat and let the heat do the work:

  • Chimichurri Butter — parsley, oregano, red wine vinegar, chilli & garlic. Brilliant on ribeye, bavette and chicken.
  • Béarnaise Butter — tarragon, lemon, bay & pink Himalayan salt. Perfect for T-bone, Galician beef and fillet.
  • Garlic & Herb Butter — garlic, parsley, thyme & lemon. The all-rounder. Works on everything.
  • Truffle, Parmesan & Black Pepper Butter — for Wagyu, bone marrow burgers and the moments worth celebrating.
Shop Sublime Butters →

Ready to Build the Perfect Spread?

Shop our full range of premium BBQ cuts, Sublime Butters and extras — everything you need for the best BBQ of the summer, delivered fresh to your door.

Shop the Full BBQ Range →

© 2025 Thomas Joseph Butchery  •  Coxtie Green Farm, 28 Coxtie Green Road, Brentwood, Essex  •  01277 367656


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