The Secret to More Flavorful BBQ Ribs in Less Than 2 Minutes

The Evansville BBQ Festival is coming up August 16th and 17th (2019) in downtown Evansville and will feature 78-time Grand Champion BBQ Master, Jim Johnson, cooking up a delicious spread of pork, chicken, sausage, and more during a 21-and-over VIP dinner Friday night (tickets available through the Festival website). Before firing up the smokers, Jim stopped by the studio to chat with us about his life in the world of barbecue, and after just a tiny bit of prodding on our part, one secret to get the most flavor from your ribs when you're cooking them at home.

Whenever most of us get a hankering to make ribs at home, we likely are picking up a slab from the grocery store, and chances are those ribs are in vacuum-sealed packages. According to Jim, gases are released during the packaging process. Since those gases have nowhere to go after the packaging is sealed, they sit on the meat until someone (you) release them by opening the package. This can affect the natural flavor of the pork. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to spend money on a slab of ribs to make at home, I want them to taste as good as possible. Fortunately, the fix is quick and easy.

Jim's secret is a quick bath in a mix of water and apple cider vinegar. And by quick, he means quick, 30 seconds to two minutes tops. Jim says the vinegar is a natural meat tenderizer and when mixed with the water will "refresh" the meat.

Jim notes it's also important to cut the membrane off the ribs as it prevents the smoke flavor from getting into the meat.

Hit the player below to hear it straight from the man himself.