Moe Better Ribs

Last night the grills were hot and the smoker was smokin' for the Ultimate Rib Tasting Showdown! Each couple brought their best ribs and sauce for a blind taste test.

The chefs...

Each team finished cooking their ribs and slathered on their own special BBQ sauce. Next, they moved to the kitchen to cut the ribs into pieces and put them into a pan, covered with foil. Each pan was identical and later labeled A,B,C,or D. Just for fun, we named them (A) Ain't Yo Mama's Ribs, (B) Bubba's Big Boy Ribs, (C) Cletis' Killer Ribs and (D) Darrel's D-Best Ribs. No one knew who cooked which pan, but they recognized their own batch of ribs.

We made up our own Ultimate Rib Tasting Score Sheet. The scoring categories were Appearance , Texture (juicy, tender), Sauce and Overall Taste. Each person could give one to four "bones" per category, a perfect score being 16 bones. Let me tell you - it was a difficult choice!

Rib tasting first, then back for the rest of the sides - including deviled eggs, two kinds of cole slaw, baked beans and corn bread! What a feast! A rib fest with no lines? This is genius!

The sheets were tallied and the winner is......Bob and Moe.....with a grand total of 105-bones! They are now the proud keepers of the beautiful pig trophy ~ which they will display on their mantel until next year!

Grilled to perfection, meaty, tender and juicy, sauced with just the right blend of spices, these are the winning ribs of the 2009 Ultimate Rib Tasting Showdown.

We had lots of food and fun! And we're already looking at recipes for next year!