Does it get more fun than rib tests?
With March 2011, officially in full swing, I've had BBQ on my mind. The annual "Grillin' on the Bay" competition is just a few weeks away, and this being my first offical BBQ competition entry, I've been eager to get a few tests going. I already know the beef and chicken entries I'll be preparing, but ribs are still up for grabs. I've asked "Big Uncle Bert," my brother-in-law, to join my team, and he's got a few ideas brewing as well. But in the past two days I've served up 4 racks of ribs, in 4 different styles. I originally assumed I should avoid a traditional BBQ-style rib, as there are presumably dozens of old-timer pit masters out there who have this style nailed. So I set to making a pineapple/lime/cilantro rack, and a ginger/basil/jalapeno rack. Both were good, but not competition ready.
I little disappointed, I then turned to my latest rub creation, and kept it simple: rub, grill, steam in some cider, then a dry shake. And man oh man, I'm onto something. These were honestly some of the best ribs I've made to date, especially considering they were simply grilled on the gas weber. I plan to smoke these guys for the competition, so the meat will get the added benefit of a moist smoking environment. I really can't wait. I also tried a sauced version of these ribs, but the dry shake is the hands-down winner. I'll continue to tinker and scheme, but here are a few galleries of my various tests in March thus far.
Sweet Pineapple, Lime, Cilantro Babybacks:
Fresh Ginger, Basil, & Jalapeno Babybacks:
BBQB's Dry Rubbed and Sauced Babybacks:
And finally, BBQB's Dry Rubbed and Sweet Shaked Babybacks (the winner!):
