Pork Naked Ribs - Just Salt & Pepper?

[Parrothead1809]

The Mrs. isn't as crazy about the sweet sauces on her ribs as I am so I was considering a simple SPG rub and just let the pork shine through.

Anyone use either a simple Kosher salt & pepper, or one of the SPG rubs (Costco's Kinders SPG, Killer Hog's AP, SuckleBusters SPG, etc)? Seems almost too easy, but I figured I'd ask before diving in. Tips welcome.

-PH

 

[Shedd]

I’m fond of a sweater rub with a light kick, so I usually use Honey Hog on my initial coat then after I remove the foil I’ll put some Holy Voodoo on. Sometimes I use Suckle Busters Hog Waller, it’s good but I can’t find it locally. I make my own rub for the butts I cook but I don’t use it on the ribs, it’s too bold. Ribs are much different and not everyone likes the same so I try to provide a neutral flavor that’s not overpowering. A couple of my buddies really like Marc’s Magic Rub extra spicy, but I don’t. I like a complement of flavor.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

I am not fond of the sweet sauces either. I was using Meat Church's Holy Voodoo with some with pepper and garlic (Holy Voodoo is a little salt heavy). Recently I switched to Texas Sugar and that is perfectly balanced for me. It is just the rub and some apple cider for my ribs.

 

[RayClem]

There are lots of different kind of sauces. In many regions of the country, the sweeter molasses based sauces seem to dominate, but there are many options.

One brand of sauces you might want to check out is Lillie's Q sauces developed by Chef Charlie McKenna. He grew up in Greenville, SC which is within easy driving distance of some of the best BBQ regions of the country. He now operates BBQ restaurants in Chicago and Florida. He travelled the BBQ competition circuits and developed sauces based on each region in which the competitions were held. The restaurants and the sauces were named after his grandmother Lillie who taught him to appreciate fine southern BBQ.

There is a Eastern North Carolina thin, vinegar based sauce with mild heat from chili pepper, There is nothing sweet at all about that. I love it on pulled pork.

There is a Carolina BBQ sauce patterned after the slightly sweet ketchup based sauces of Western North Carolina.

There is a Carolina Gold sauce patterned after the mustard based sauces of South Carolina.

There is a Smoky sauce that is patterned after the Memphis style sweet sauce.

Then there is the Ivory sauce patterned after the famed Alabama White sauce developed in 1925 by Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, AL. It is a tangy mayonnaise based sauce, quite unlike most other sauces. The sauce is still used to this day for dipping BBQ chickens at the restaurant that bears in name and still run by family members. It is a very unique sauce that is wonderful on chicken, but useful on other meats as well.

There are other variants as well, including sugar-free varieties.

What I am trying to say, is that there is an entire country of BBQ sauces available outside the sticky-sweet molasses sauces. Like your wife, I do not like that type of sauce, either, but really like some of the others. You did not list where you live, so I do not know what might be readily available at your local grocery stores. I suspect you can find a store that stocks a wide variety of sauces. If you cannot find one you like, there are plenty recipes online for making each of the regional sauces listed. People tend to like the style of sauces that were common in the region in which they were raised. I grew up in Virginia, bordering the Carolinas, so I was exposed to a variety of different sauce styles. I find that I like most of them other than the KC style. I am having difficulty finding Eastern North Carolina vinegar based sauces in my local stores in the Chicago suburbs, so I will make my own.

 

[PatrickBlossom]

Using a simple Kosher salt and black pepper rub, or an SPG (Salt, Pepper, Garlic) rub, is a popular choice for pork ribs and can result in delicious and flavorful meat without the need for a sweet sauce. These rubs allow the natural flavor of the pork to shine through while still enhancing it with savory and aromatic flavors.
When using a salt and pepper rub, it's essential to use enough salt to bring out the natural flavors of the meat without overpowering it. A general guideline is to use about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. Freshly cracked black pepper can be used to taste, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1/2 teaspoon per pound.
If you decide to use an SPG rub, there are many options to choose from, and each one may have a slightly different flavor profile. Some popular SPG rubs include the ones you mentioned, such as Kinders SPG, Killer Hog's AP, and SuckleBusters SPG. These can be found at most grocery stores or online. When applying an SPG rub, it's essential to use a generous amount to ensure that the flavors are well distributed throughout the meat.
When cooking the ribs, be sure to monitor the temperature closely to prevent overcooking or undercooking. You can use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 195°F for fall-off-the-bone tender ribs.
Overall, using a simple salt and pepper rub or an SPG rub is a great way to highlight the natural flavors of pork ribs without the need for a sweet sauce. Experiment with different rubs and cooking techniques to find your perfect flavor profile.

 

[Shedd]

This is an old recipe that many restaurants as well as backyard BBQ cooks have used here in South Carolina my entire life. It is the Carolina Gold (mustard based) and originated from the Bessinger Family (Joe Bessinger) in the low country near Charleston SC. This is used as a starting point and many of our BBQ joints (restaurants) tweak it to their own. My family goes back 70 years in SC BBQ and different members of my family has started with this and made it the way they like it. BBQ sauce recipes go to the grave with many folks around here, lol. I’m not giving my recipe but it starts with this.

2 cups yellow mustard (any will do)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Put it all in a saucepan on medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes give or take. Remove from heat then add 2 tablespoons butter and salt to taste.

This is another old recipe for Eastern North Carolina (our neighbor) Vinegar Sauce. It’s been used in SC long than I remember. I use this exact recipe.

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put in saucepan bring to simmer for about 5 minutes.

 

[RayClem]

This is an old recipe that many restaurants as well as backyard BBQ cooks have used here in South Carolina my entire life. It is the Carolina Gold (mustard based) and originated from the Bessinger Family (Joe Bessinger) in the low country near Charleston SC. This is used as a starting point and many of our BBQ joints (restaurants) tweak it to their own. My family goes back 70 years in SC BBQ and different members of my family has started with this and made it the way they like it. BBQ sauce recipes go to the grave with many folks around here, lol. I’m not giving my recipe but it starts with this.

2 cups yellow mustard (any will do)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Put it all in a saucepan on medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes give or take. Remove from heat then add 2 tablespoons butter and salt to taste.

This is another old recipe for Eastern North Carolina (our neighbor) Vinegar Sauce. It’s been used in SC long than I remember. I use this exact recipe.

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put in saucepan bring to simmer for about 5 minutes.

I can readily get the Lillie's Q Carolina Gold sauce, which I really like. I guess vinegar based sauces are not so popular in the Chicago area. They were stocked at my local Meijer for a few weeks, but they did not replenish the stock. As soon as my current bottle is empty, I might try making a batch of the ENC sauce you provided. It is not am authentic ENC vinegar sauce as they shun all use of ketchup in that area, but ketchup is added in many areas of North Carolina as well as South Carolina. I am not a vinegar sauce purist, so I will try adding ketchup to mine as recommended in the recipe. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Parrothead1809]

There are lots of different kind of sauces. In many regions of the country, the sweeter molasses based sauces seem to dominate, but there are many options.

One brand of sauces you might want to check out is Lillie's Q sauces developed by Chef Charlie McKenna. He grew up in Greenville, SC which is within easy driving distance of some of the best BBQ regions of the country. He now operates BBQ restaurants in Chicago and Florida. He travelled the BBQ competition circuits and developed sauces based on each region in which the competitions were held. The restaurants and the sauces were named after his grandmother Lillie who taught him to appreciate fine southern BBQ.

There is a Eastern North Carolina thin, vinegar based sauce with mild heat from chili pepper, There is nothing sweet at all about that. I love it on pulled pork.

There is a Carolina BBQ sauce patterned after the slightly sweet ketchup based sauces of Western North Carolina.

There is a Carolina Gold sauce patterned after the mustard based sauces of South Carolina.

There is a Smoky sauce that is patterned after the Memphis style sweet sauce.

Then there is the Ivory sauce patterned after the famed Alabama White sauce developed in 1925 by Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, AL. It is a tangy mayonnaise based sauce, quite unlike most other sauces. The sauce is still used to this day for dipping BBQ chickens at the restaurant that bears in name and still run by family members. It is a very unique sauce that is wonderful on chicken, but useful on other meats as well.

There are other variants as well, including sugar-free varieties.

What I am trying to say, is that there is an entire country of BBQ sauces available outside the sticky-sweet molasses sauces. Like your wife, I do not like that type of sauce, either, but really like some of the others. You did not list where you live, so I do not know what might be readily available at your local grocery stores. I suspect you can find a store that stocks a wide variety of sauces. If you cannot find one you like, there are plenty recipes online for making each of the regional sauces listed. People tend to like the style of sauces that were common in the region in which they were raised. I grew up in Virginia, bordering the Carolinas, so I was exposed to a variety of different sauce styles. I find that I like most of them other than the KC style. I am having difficulty finding Eastern North Carolina vinegar based sauces in my local stores in the Chicago suburbs, so I will make my own.

All excellent points and a great verbal tour of BBQ sauces. I have tried many of the store bought sauces including Sweet Baby Ray's (which is not bad for a basic sweet molasses type sauce). I've also recently tried Meat Mitch Womp Sauce (Competition). I have a jar of the Meat Mitch Naked in the pantry "on deck" for a future cook too. I do very much like the Traeger Sweet Heat. I also have multiple jars of Killer Hog (along with his vinegar) which is a great combo too. And yes, I even made my own Alabama White following a recipe online which was a great change for some wings last year.

All that said, I still want to try a S&P (or SPG) rub and "go naked" as an experiment. I'm usually only cooking a couple of racks at a time, so maybe I do that for 1 rack of a multi-rack cook; or slice the racks in half and do a real sampler.

Great Conversation, here ! Keep those cards and letters comin'

-PH

 

[RayClem]

All excellent points and a great verbal tour of BBQ sauces. I have tried many of the store bought sauces including Sweet Baby Ray's (which is not bad for a basic sweet molasses type sauce). I've also recently tried Meat Mitch Womp Sauce (Competition). I have a jar of the Meat Mitch Naked in the pantry "on deck" for a future cook too. I do very much like the Traeger Sweet Heat. I also have multiple jars of Killer Hog (along with his vinegar) which is a great combo too. And yes, I even made my own Alabama White following a recipe online which was a great change for some wings last year.

All that said, I still want to try a S&P (or SPG) rub and "go naked" as an experiment. I'm usually only cooking a couple of racks at a time, so maybe I do that for 1 rack of a multi-rack cook; or slice the racks in half and do a real sampler.

Great Conversation, here ! Keep those cards and letters comin'

-PH

You can certainly "go naked" with the rub used on your ribs or othre protein for that matter. However, you can supplement your rub with one or more sauces at the table. That way, everyone can get sauced with whatever style they prefer. I hope you wife can find something less sweet that she likes. With all the variations availble, there is sure to be something she will like. Exploring the possibilities is part of the adventure of BBQ.