The Legendary Johnny Trigg Ribs
You have probably heard Johnny Trigg referred to as the Godfather of Barbeque. He became a legend in the competition barbeque circuit in 1990. He has entered dozens of competitions every year while driving thousands of miles to reach his destination. His competition team is called Smokin’ Triggers and consists of himself and his wife Trish. This is the only team in history to win the World Championship BBQ Invitational for Jack Daniel’s twice. His team took first prize in Lynchburg, Tennessee in 2000 and again in 2003. You already know he cooks some of the best ribs you will ever taste. You may have seen him on numerous barbeque television shows or in 2009 when he appeared on BBQ Pitmasters as one of the original cast. He returned in 2012 for the updated format and became the BBQ Pitmasters Grand Champion.
In 2012, Johnny Trigg was honored with a membership into the National Barbecue Hall of Fame during the American Royal. If this does not convince you Johnny Trigg is the undisputed master of barbeque, nothing will. He is a living legend in the world of barbeque. I am going to teach you how to prepare pecan & cherry smoked pork spareribs, Johnny Trigg style. Whether you are new to smoking meat or a seasoned pro, these are the tenderest, tangiest and most delicious spareribs you will ever taste. I will also show you the special techniques and share tips he used to become legendary. Forget about any problems you have had in the past because you are in our world now. Simply follow the instructions detailed below to be hailed as a master barbeque chef.
Johnny Trigg Ribs Recipe – Ingredients
Prior to selecting your ingredients, remember Johnny Trigg always uses the highest quality ingredients available, especially for the meat. We recommend throwing away your old spices every six months and replacing them. Fresh spices are one of your keys to success. For this recipe, you will need:
- Two racks of fresh pork spareribs (five to six pounds)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
- One cup of your favorite dry rub
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup softened butter or squeezable margarine
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of honey
- Three ounces of Tiger Sauce ( 3/4 of a five-ounce bottle)
- Your favorite barbeque sauce ( one and 1/2 cups)
- Apple juice
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Onion flakes
- Red pepper
- Black pepper
- Corn syrup
- Molasses
- Tomato sauce
- One teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (Use according to your taste)
- Pecans
- Cherries
The exact amount of each ingredient depends on how many pounds of meat you are using and your individual taste. Johnny Trigg recommends using well-marbled ribs with the membrane removed and trimmed to 3.5 inches for additional tenderness.
3-2-1 Ribs – Preparation
We are going to show you how to use the 3-2-1 method. This is leaving your ribs on the smoker naked for three hours, foiled for an additional two hours then naked for one more hour. This is the way Johnny Trigg cooks his ribs. We have found this is the best way to ensure your ribs are of the highest quality. Begin by thoroughly washing your ribs. Trim off the excess fat from the back and front of your ribs. Use your dry rub to sprinkle the side of your ribs with the meat. Press the rub into the meat. Sprinkle with garlic powder and let sit at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes.
How To Cook Johnny Trigg Ribs
Johnny Trigg recommends against using briquettes because they contain fillers. We recommend using wood logs, chunks or chips instead. Do not soak your wood or you will end up with too much smoke flavor. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. You need to maintain the temperature between 225 and 275 degrees. You will smoke your ribs for three hours. Mist your ribs with apple juice every hour. After three hours, take your ribs off the smoker.
The Preparation of the Aluminum Foil
We recommend using heavy-duty aluminum foil due to the weight of the ribs. Cut a piece of your foil big enough for completely wrapping your ribs. Spread your margarine over the foil covering an area the same size as your rib rack. Johnny Trigg recommends using a wave pattern. Place your cherries and pecans on top of the butter. Sprinkle with hot-pepper sauce and a handful of brown sugar over the margarine. Now add strips of Tiger sauce and honey. Make sure your strips cover everything evenly. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, paprika, onion flakes and red pepper to your taste. Use your fingers to stir up your ingredients a little. Place your rack with the meat side down on top of the aluminum foil mixture and add 1/4 cup of apple juice.
Wrap the foil around your rack, making certain the foil is well sealed and tightly closed. Repeat the same step for your second rack of pork ribs. Johnny Trigg’s rib wrap is amazing. The ingenuity of this wrap is one of the reasons he won so many competitions. If you are using a larger rack of ribs, you will need to use more of the ingredients to cover your meat thoroughly. You must make certain the area of the foil you have covered is big enough for your entire rack. Once you have sealed the foil, place your ribs back onto your smoker for another two hours. All of the ingredients you placed in the foil will cook together to form an incredible glaze on your ribs for flavor the Trigg way.
The Last Stage of Smoking
After two hours, remove your ribs from the smoker. Take off the aluminum foil carefully because it is extremely hot. This is a great time to use your favorite barbeque sauce on both the front and back of the ribs. Wait two hours, then remove your ribs from the smoker. Carefully remove the aluminum foil. Johnny Trigg glazes his ribs using a special mixture. He places the ribs front side up, then uses corn syrup, molasses and tomato sauce to glaze his ribs. We recommend doing the same. Place your ribs back on your smoker naked for one more hour. For a more complete meal, grab a pie tin. Fill the tin with beans and add some of your favorite barbeque sauce. Now place the tin in your smoker. You will need to stir your beans about every fifteen minutes.
Do not make the mistake of overcooking your ribs. We recommend using a temperature gauge so you will be certain when they are done. After approximately one hour, your masterpiece should be cooked all the way through. In addition to the gauge, a good way to know your racks are done is when you lift the ribs a little pick them up and the meat begins to tear. Remove your meat from the smoker and use more barbeque sauce immediately. Johnny Trigg uses an electric carving knife. Cut between the bones so you will have individual ribs. Place your ribs onto a platter and serve with your beans. You should be able to feed three to four people.
The Home Variation
Johnny Trigg has to use a barbeque pit for all of his cooking during competitions. If you do not have a smoker, you can use the modern conveniences in your home to make another version of the same recipe. You will follow all of the same steps but you will be using your oven set at 250 degrees. You will place your racks in a roasting pan inside of your oven. Make certain you use heavy-duty aluminum foil or you risk a puncture. We do not want you to have juices leaking into your oven. You final result will be exactly the same.
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Johnny Trigg Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- Two racks of fresh pork spareribs (five to six pounds)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
- One cup of your favorite dry rub
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup softened butter or squeezable margarine
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of honey
- Three ounces of Tiger Sauce ( 3/4 of a five-ounce bottle)
- Your favorite barbeque sauce ( one and 1/2 cups)
- Apple juice
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Onion flakes
- Red pepper
- Black pepper
- Corn syrup
- Molasses
- Tomato sauce
- One teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (Use according to your taste)
- Pecans
- Cherries
Instructions
- Begin by thoroughly washing your ribs.
- Trim off the excess fat from the back and front of your ribs.
- Use your dry rub to sprinkle the side of your ribs with the meat.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder and let sit at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes.
- Johnny Trigg recommends against using briquettes because they contain fillers.
- We recommend using wood logs, chunks or chips instead.
- Do not soak your wood or you will end up with too much smoke flavor.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees.
- You need to maintain the temperature between 225 and 275 degrees.
- You will smoke your ribs for three hours.
- Mist your ribs with apple juice every hour.
- After three hours, take your ribs off the smoker.
- We recommend using heavy-duty aluminum foil due to the weight of the ribs.
- Spread your margarine over the foil covering an area the same size as your rib rack.
- Place your cherries and pecans on top of the butter.
- Sprinkle with hot-pepper sauce and a handful of brown sugar over the margarine.
- Now add strips of Tiger sauce and honey.
- Make sure your strips cover everything evenly.
- Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, paprika, onion flakes and red pepper to your taste.
- Use your fingers to stir up your ingredients a little.
- Place your rack with the meat side down on top of the aluminum foil mixture and add 1/4 cup of apple juice.
- Wrap the foil around your rack, making certain the foil is well sealed and tightly closed.
- Repeat the same step for your second rack of pork ribs.
- Once you have sealed the foil, place your ribs back onto your smoker for another two hours.
- After two hours, remove your ribs from the smoker.
- Take off the aluminum foil carefully because it is extremely hot.
- This is a great time to use your favorite barbeque sauce on both the front and back of the ribs.
- Wait two hours, then remove your ribs from the smoker.
- Carefully remove the aluminum foil.
- Place your ribs back on your smoker naked for one more hour.
- For a more complete meal, grab a pie tin.
- Fill the tin with beans and add some of your favorite barbeque sauce.
- Now place the tin in your smoker.
- You will need to stir your beans about every fifteen minutes.
- Do not make the mistake of overcooking your ribs.
- We recommend using a temperature gauge so you will be certain when they are done.
- After approximately one hour, your masterpiece should be cooked all the way through.
- In addition to the gauge, a good way to know your racks are done is when you lift the ribs a little pick them up and the meat begins to tear.
- Remove your meat from the smoker and use more barbeque sauce immediately.
- Cut between the bones so you will have individual ribs.
- Place your ribs onto a platter and serve with your beans. You should be able to feed three to four people.
Nutrition
Your Success
We want to say congratulations because we are certain your Johnny Trigg apple & cherry smoked pork spareribs were amazing. We hope you enjoyed this experience and will make other Trigg recipes in the future. Keep on smoking and you will become legendary with your friends and family.
