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BBQ Spare Ribs: Advice Require Please

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  chefbillyb 
#1 ·
Hello,

I like to makespare ribs and i would like to make them sticky BBQ spare ribs  BUT......

I am looking for an alternative to using sugar, cola, syrup, honey mollases etc, as I don't like eating anything sweet.

Is there a savoury alternative to making sticky BBQ ribs without the sweetness?

Thanks & kind regards in advance.
 
#2 ·
Sadly for you, I suspect there isn't really an alternative. Its the sugar which makes the sticky! But of course, you can make BBQ ribs without sugar - they will taste good but won't be as sticky. TBH you don't really need much sugar/honey etc. for the marinade. So if your reason for not eating sweet is to do with diet rather than taste then I wouldn't worry too much. Just cut the sugar in the recipe in half and see how you get on.
 
#4 ·
You could experiment with a mayonnaise/mustard/hot sauce BBQ sauce... I have played with it for a savory sticky coating but nothing I like quite yet(need to work on spices. I use chicken leg quarters to test).
I think BBQ sauce generally has sugar in it. But it sounds interesting using mayonnaise and mustard. And now I'm thinking... what goes sticky when its cooked without sugar? Perhaps fruit of some sort which contains natural sugar...
 
#6 ·
My only advice for ribs is to spritz them every time you check on them, with a half and half mixture of some quality apple cider, and a nice black spiced rum.

Perhaps you could try something using butter, garlic, and onions? Butter is sweet, but when you add garlic and onions to the mix you get something savory instead of just sweet.

Just a thought.
 
#7 ·
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you simply don't want to add any EXTRA sugar.

With that said, make a more savory sauce with less sweet.  Up the spice level and add no sugars.  I would suggest a North Carolina vinegar/pepper sauce and mix it with ketchup on a 2:1 or even a 1:1 ratio.  I'd start with a cup of sauce and 1/2 cup of ketchup, and add until it thickens to where you like it.
 
#10 · (Edited)
LOL. I'm cracking up picturing you, in give or take 1972, hanging out with skateboard dudes. Now for me ... there are different profiles of "food" sweetness; sugar vs. natural type flavors. Aside from what some people may think, everything I say is not a wisecrack. Although I can understand how they might think that.
 
#11 · (Edited)
[justify]LOL. I'm cracking up picturing you, in give or take 1972, hanging out with skateboard dudes. Now for me ... there are different profiles of "food" sweetness; sugar vs. natural type flavors. Aside from what some people may think, everything I say is not a wisecrack. Although I can understand how they might think that.[/justify]
Going back a few years ago my wife did some prep in one of my cafes. I had her make some BBQ sauce for a special we were doing that day. I had 5 or 6 people come back to tell me how much they liked the BBQ sauce on the entree. I asked my wife what she did different, her answer was Oh sh-t I forgot to put in the sugar. I told her to keep screwing up it's good for business..........

Andy, if you look at a Carolina BBQ sauce it's made not being sweet but more of a vinegar base sauce. Take a recipe that looks good and follow it knowing that your going to "add up" on the amount of sugar. You can add sweetness in a few ways. Ketchup, brown sugar and molasses. If you do this you'll be able to adjust the amount of sweetness.....Enjoy!
 
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