That Ain't BBQ

Some things you have to do right.  BBQ is one of them.  I was talking Memorial Day with a buddy who said "my wife makes the best BBQ ribs ever!" That comment made me a bit suspicious.  I mean, it's not that women can't BBQ it's just that it's a rare wife who actually likes smelling like smoked sausage.  Imagine...

You:  "Mmmm, honey, you smell like a Hickory Farms Store..."
She:  "Oh baby, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.  Let's go make out!"

Anyway, so I ask my buddy "what's her recipe"?  See, I can be nice and polite sometimes.

It's so simple, he says.  She cuts up the ribs into pieces (Oh NO!) and smothers them in sauce (STOP it!) and then tosses them in a crockpot for 12 hours (OMG!) until they are FALLING OFF THE BONE!  (KILL ME NOW).

No offense to my buddy's wife but that aint BBQ.  In fact, if you ever make ribs that are falling off the bone you automatically flunk the rib test.  Mr Lee from 8th grade would say "you fail, you flunk, you are NOTHING!"  No, ribs need to be cooked low and slow on a smoker until they are tender, but still have texture and still have a bone actually attached to the meat.

I got another buddy who "gets it" and made some ribs for his extended family on his trusty Masterbuilt Electric Smoker (good pick, see below) and asked his nephew what he thought.  "It tastes like bacon!" he exclaimed as he held the rib by the bone and the sauce dripped down his chin and you know, there ain't no better compliment that that. That's BBQ.