This vinegar-based sauce is perfect for slow-cooked ribs. It keeps in the fridge for about two weeks, so you can make it ahead of time. Back in 2013, I had amazing ribs at The Pit Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ribs, lacking the sticky sweetness I expected, were slow-cooked in a vinegar BBQ sauce. They were tender and delicious. I was immediately hooked! Here’s my version of this delicious sauce.
Ingredients
Recipe Card
Apple cider vinegar: This is the basis for this vinegar-based sauce. I really like its flavor, but red wine vinegar will work too. Hot pepper sauce: It can be as potent or as mild as you’d like. Although many will tell you that the classic hot sauce to use is Texas Pete, I prefer to use a hot sauce like Frank’s, whose first ingredient is hot peppers rather than vinegar. I find that these are more flavorful. Seasonings: I use smoked salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. I highly recommend the smoked salt and paprika - they add a wonderfully smoky flavor to the sauce.
Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Let the sauce sit and rest for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. At this point, you can use the sauce immediately in a recipe or refrigerate it until ready to use and for up to two weeks. Shake the jar again before using the sauce. Better yet, make it the day before you need it and refrigerate it. An overnight stay in the fridge will make it better and more flavorful. The ribs were phenomenal! Fall-off-the-bone tender and so flavorful, with just the right amount of heat. They were not vinegary at all. They were delicious! Just like those ribs at The Pit restaurant back in 2013.
