I heard a master competitor say sauce is cheating, but the winner used a heavy glaze

Overheard two pitmasters arguing at a local event in Kansas City last weekend, one said sauce covers up bad meat while the other said it's essential for bark. Which side do you lean on for competition pork ribs?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy9745d ago

Wait, a heavy glaze is cheating with extra steps?" That's a wild take, friend.

hart.sage5d ago

Oh man, I've been in this exact spot. I used to be all about heavy sauces for comp ribs because I thought that's what got you noticed. But then I had a judge tell me straight up they couldn't taste the pork under all that sweet glaze, and it kind of clicked for me. Now I do a really thin apple cider vinegar spritz during the cook and just let the rub do most of the work on the bark. I'll brush a light honey and brown sugar glaze on maybe 15 minutes before pulling them, but that's it. The ribs I got my best score with had almost no visible sauce, just a deep mahogany color from the rub and smoke.

blair_webb5d ago

Man, sounds like those pitmasters needed a referee more than a rub. Sauce covers up bad meat, sure, but a heavy glaze is basically cheating with extra steps and a fancy name. Guess the winner just found the right kind of cheat code.