Am I the only one who gets annoyed when people sauce ribs BEFORE they wrap?

Went to a BBQ competition in Nashville last month and watched this guy slather Sweet Baby Ray's all over his ribs right before he foiled them. I mean, that's just making soggy meat with burnt sugar, right? I've been doing this for about 8 years now and I always use a dry rub first, let it set for an hour, then wrap with just a little apple juice. Anyone else see this mistake at their local cookouts?

2 comments

2 Comments

karent751mo ago

Gotta say @walker.rowan nailed it right on the head. That sugary sauce is just gonna turn into a sticky mess inside the foil, no way around it. I've seen it happen so many times at backyard cookouts and it always makes me cringe. People think they're adding flavor but they're really just making the bark soggy and the sugar burns up fast. Dry rub with a little apple juice for steam is the way to go, every single time. Saucing at the end for a quick set gives you that nice glaze without ruining the meat. It's like they don't even understand basic barbecue science.

walker.rowan1mo ago

Yeah, that's a rookie move right there. Sauces with that much sugar just burn up in the foil and make a mess. I use a thin vinegar mop if anything, then sauce at the very end for just a few minutes to set it. Straight up ruining good meat doing it that early.