Sauce or no sauce......

Marv · January 2002

Sauce is something that some folks put on with out thinking others have to have that 'special sauce' to make it right.
In my BBQ catering business I prefer NOT to cook using sauce. By rubbing the ribs down with the dry rub and marinading them over night, they are plenty moist cooking them indrect.
One thing that I do like to do, is fill a spray bottle with apple cider and mist the ribs after the first hour or 2 of cooking and every hour after that and again just as I take them off. I have used other things such as orange juice, pinapple juice and others but the apple cider is my favorite. It does not burn and leaves the ribs nice and shinny and imparts a kind of sweetness to them. I also use this on the pork butts.[p]Marv
www.marvsbbq.com

Unknown · January 2002

Marv,[p]The last two pork butts I cooked I tried injecting the heck out of them with apple juice "didn't have cider" and let it sit for an hour to absorb and get rid of the cold before going on the egg. Came out not so much tasting like apple...but much more moist and tender than my prior brining experiments. That $2.00 injector has it's place.[p]Happy Egging. BB

Stogie · January 2002

Marv,[p]I totally agree!! NO pre-sauce to my guests. I serve 4 sauces for every event.....sweet red, hot red, sweet mustard, hot mustard. I am always amazed by how many folks will eat them "dry" once they have tried it. I use a mixture of cider vinegar, apple juice and I always add some oil in there...it helps to maintain that moisture so I don't have to mist as often.[p]I do use a mustard glaze when competing...the one from Danny Gaulden.[p]BB....[p]Injecting is soooo much more effective and easier than brining..I am surprised more folks don't do it. I learned many years ago to inject my pork butts when I was cooking on the MIM circuit. They all use the large industrial size, constant pump units. They will inject about a gallon into one, 15 lb. shoulder.[p]One thing I have learned about injecting......you should have pure liquid...any spices you use should be dissolved. Problem is, any un-dissolved spices will show up in clumps inside the meat(not a hassle with pulled pork, but it is terrible on pork loins). I now heat the liquid to dissolve and then strain if I am using spices.[p]Here is an injection to try...........[p]Pork Injection Marinade [p]4 cups Apple juice or cider
1 cup Cider vinegar
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Corn syrup
2 tablespoons Rub(use the same as you do on the meat)
Be sure to powderize this! A mortar and pestle works great. [p]PREPARATION:
Inject into pork butts at the rate of 1 ounce per pound of meat.[p]I also use as a drizzle on ribs before foiling. [p]Hope you enjoy this![p]Stogie

BBQfan1 · January 2002

Stogie, As a member of a relatively new competition que team (along with the 'famous' Mop! lol), these kinds of tips and techniques are beautiful gems! As you know, Fridays at comps are great social events, but when folks are actually cooking, it's so geared to turn-in that visiting/sharing tips is next to impossible. Thanks for the pointers!
Qfan
(for Mop! too & all of Little & Large BBQ)

Mop · January 2002

Hey Stog, nice to hear from you......you mentioned a 'sweet mustard' sauce that you like to serve, would you be so kind to give the recipe?[p]Mop..

Stogie · January 2002

Mop,[p]For you Mop...anything!! Also, congrats on the site and best of luck to you and Qfan on the circuit this year.[p]Of course, if I continue to reveal all my tips......LOL[p]Stogie
__________________________________________________________[p]This is real popular with the kids, but many adults have also been seen eating it on their sammiches.[p]Piggy Park BBQ Sauce [p]1/2 cup Yellow mustard
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup Brown sugar, light
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste[p]PREPARATION:
Whisk together and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Unknown · January 2002

Stogie, hey Stogie don't be givin these guys to much info here , i may be competing against them and it'll be hard enough as it is lol . the only thing they won't have is a WSM lol . talk with you all later . reg

Mop · January 2002

Stogie,I appreciate the well wishes, we are looking forward to a season of barbecue and good friends and hopes of meeting some of you in person along the way..[p]Thanks for the recipe, its grinding away in the printer right now...[p]take care.[p]Mop

Unknown · January 2002

Working out the details of my catering business, this is something that has crossed my mind as well. I'm not sure what the general concensus is in my area(CA), but I prepared six racks of babybacks for the neighbors party, 3 sauced 30 min. before taking them off and 3 only rubbed/basted. Everyone at the party prefered the ones with sauce. Not quite sure what to make of it because they both tasted good. Right now I'm thinking of serving sauced ribs. I was wonderring, do you not sauce your ribs because that is how you prefer them, or is it based on feedback from your customers?

Unknown · January 2002

Stogie,[p]The next butt I do is getting your recipe Thank You [p]I dont hear much about injection either .... except on the subject of frying whole turkey's. Even the BBQ Galore where I purchased my injector had it displayed right next to the turkey frier. Strange association IMHO.
On some things with meat to bone ratio's like ribs... brining is the only way to go I am sure to moisturize. [p]You wont catch me injecting ribs... or the cutting board for that matter ... LOL [p]Once again.... Thank You ... BB [p]

Stogie · January 2002

reg,[p]LOL I hear ya! Unfortunately, these don't qualify as secrets any more! My first MIM contest, I thought I was at a Reynolds Aluminum foil convention! LOL Now it is pretty standard stuff.[p]These guys even inject their chicken wings!![p]It is always interesting hanging around these cook-offs...you just wonder what the next "cutting edge" technique will be. Mustard was it a few years ago. After numerous side-by-side taste tests, my conclusion...just a waste of good mustard.[p]Anyway, I digress. I'll lighten up on the secrets a bit! [p]Stogie

Marv · January 2002

Westsider,
Most BBQ people that I have talked to say REAL barbecue should not be eaten with sauce.
I do not sauce for several reasons....
#1 I don't like the mess in my BBQ.
#2 EVERYONE has a different taste....some like sweet, some like hot, some don't like any at all.
#3 for catering, a lot of folks are worried about making a mess on themselves. So we sell the fact that we don't cook with sauce so it is not as messy.[p]Can you believe we have seen some folks (women mostly) try to eat ribs by cutting the meat off the bone with a knife and fork so they don't have to touch it?[p]Pick the darn thing up and eat.....I would like to say.
We do offer wet ones for everyone if they want.[p]Marv
www.marvsbbq.com

Grumpa · January 2002

Marv,[p]I like 'em anyway I can get 'em!

Marv · January 2002

BB,
The idea of injection is to help tenersize and as a flavoring agent. You have to remember you are not injecting a live muscle where blood stream helps to move the injection throughout the body. That is why almost all reciepes say inject and let sit overnight. I actually rub the meat during and after I inject to help move the liquid throughout the meat.
Try this method and I will bet you notice a big difference in flavor.[p]Marv
www.marvsbbq.com

Unknown · January 2002

Marv,[p]Thanks, my problem is forsight and planning. The only time I do a butt or such overnight cook is on the weekends and so I need to inject say Fri. night. Just never comes together like that for me.... Poor planning I know. [p]I am going to work on it though. That was the killer with my brining ....and my slow and low cooks. Dinner was always late and the wife would get hungry etc. [p]I just need to get all the timing worked out. Injection lets me juice the meat up quicker than brining. [p]I will do my best for an overnighter though.. have been wanting to. Just got to make it happen. [p]Happy Egging.. BB

Sauce or no sauce......

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