Trigg Rib Shigg From "BBQ Pitmasters"

[Boshizzle]

Johnny Trigg allowed the "BBQ Pitmasters" filming cameras to capture some of his process and recipe for cooking award winning ribs. I studied the footage of Trigg from the show to pick up as many tips as I could. Here is what I discovered.

BTW – I don’t think that this is really shigging. Shigging is the act of entering one’s cook site with the intent to steal their processes. This is just a summary of the info Johnny Trigg shared on the show.

According to Trigg, the first thing to know about BBQ is that it is redneck cooking.

When it comes to ribs, spares have more meat and make a better presentation. The meat is very important. Trigg looks for ribs with a lot of fat. Lean ribs are tough and flavorless. There is a lot of marbling in the ribs he chooses. He cooks St. Louis cut ribs. He removes the membrane and trims the back of the ribs really close to the bone.







Trigg uses a mystery rub he keeps in a brown unlabeled dispenser. BTW - He uses Lawry's seasoning salt on Pork butts.



He also uses coarsely ground black pepper.





Trigg cooks the ribs meat side up at around 275 degrees. He sprays ribs with apple juice during the cooking process.

He never specified the amount of time he cooks them before foiling them but it’s probably between 2 and 3 hours.





Trigg foils his ribs. He makes a mixture containing at least the following: honey, brown sugar, Tiger Sauce, onion powder, and Squeeze Parkay.

First, he puts the ingredients on the foil.










Here, you can see the Tiger Sauce in the background.



Here is the honey, handful of brown sugar, onion powder, Parkay, and Tiger Sauce mixture.



Trigg places the ribs in the mixture meat side down.



He then puts the same ingredients on the back of the ribs.

Here is the Squeeze Parkay going on.






More brown sugar.



More honey.



Onion powder.






He wraps in foil, presumably two layers.



Puts the ribs back in the smoker meat side down.



When they have reached the desired tenderness, he takes them in to be sliced.



He uses an electric knife to cut them.



He presents them on a bed of lettuce.




What Trigg didn’t share was his skill. If you try this and don’t have the same results Trigg has had, don’t be surprised.

[Bbq Bubba]

This is a typical cooking practice for KCBS ribs.

[Sunra]

Nice write up / tutorial. Thanks

[Drifter]

Thanks for taking the time to break it all down. Wife has been on me to do some this way ever since that episode aired, I've just been too lazy to replay the show and write it all down. Now I don't have to. Thanks!!

[Harmening]

What is 'Tiger Sauce' exactly?

[Boshizzle]

Tiger Sauce link.

You can get it at grocery stores or online. It's a sweet hot sauce.

[thillin]

Originally Posted by Harmening

What is 'Tiger Sauce' exactly?

Type of hot sauce.

[armor]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

This is a typical cooking practice for KCBS ribs.

Exactly....my brother has been doing this for years.
Tuffy had his ribs (same method) with instructions etc published.
Lotta Bull has his on video on his site

[Cocophone]

What exactly does the Parkay add to the ribs?

Flavor, texture, moisture?

I've never tasted Parkay on ribs, but it doesn't sound appealing to me. We never use margarine in my home. My wife would kill me if she saw me using margarine. We are a 100% margarine free home.

[IronStomach]

Originally Posted by Cocophone

What exactly does the Parkay add to the ribs?

Flavor, texture, moisture?

I've never tasted Parkay on ribs, but it doesn't sound appealing to me. We never use margarine in my home. My wife would kill me if she saw me using margarine. We are a 100% margarine free home.

Use butter, it'll be fine. If anyone says the butter will burn, they're forgetting that brown sugar burns at a lower temp than butter and the brown sugar doesn't burn in this method.

Make sure you use two layers of heavy duty foil and crimp the foil closed really well. I made 5 racks of baby backs yesterday on my UDS, works really darn well.

[Paul B]

The above is all nice and well, but, if you take Johnny at his word he doesn't like his comp ribs. He has said he doesn't use all that stuff when he cooks for himself.

That is a lot of stuff he puts on, does one really taste the rib??????

Paul B
SS UDS

[Boshizzle]

Yeah, I heard him say that on the show. I'd bet a lot of BBQ cooks don't prefer what they turn in to judges. Either way, the judges sure like them.

The info is what it is: a glimpse into the processes of a champion BBQ cook. It can always be tailored to someone's personal preference.

[IronStomach]

Originally Posted by Paul B

That is a lot of stuff he puts on, does one really taste the rib??????

Have you tried it that way yet? It's different than you might think....

I did a version yesterday on five slabs of baby backs with 1/6 C each of butter, honey, brown sugar and apple cider in the foil with each rack. The rub was a fairly complementary pork rub and not overpowering at all.

The honey, butter, and brown sugar are fairly neutral. Use a rub that complements sweet and pork and it really brings out the flavor of the pork. Unlike how a lot of people use rubs and sauces, this method doesn't overpower the pork flavor -- it brings out somewhat. I was pretty surprised, I thought it would be too sweet: it wasn't. It was pretty low key.

[TN_BBQ]

Originally Posted by Boshizzle

What Trigg didn’t share was his skill. If you try this and don’t have the same results Trigg has had, don’t be surprised.

The understatement of the new millennium. (just look at Paul...he's doing better, but he still doesn't do as well as Johnny)

[SmokinOkie]

You should have been in Military Intelligence with me after that examination.

When is your Tuffy expose coming out about this timing spreadsheet?