Ribs are Like Hope - Spritzing

One of the great questions of all time.

To be, or not to be: that is the question

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

William Shakespeare

But when it comes to ribs, it takes on a different theme.

To spritz, or not to spritz, that is the question.

Spritzing is where you spray a liquid on the ribs with the idea of stretching out the cooking process, allowing for “low and slow” from a time standpoint. It also is supposed to add moisture to the cooking environment and meat, preventing the ribs from drying out. One other idea is that the added moisture gives the smoke something to stick to, enhancing the overall flavor and texture.

There are lots of options and theories when it comes to what to actually spritz on ribs.

• Water

• Apple Juice

• White grape juice

• Apple cider vinegar

• White wine vinegar

• Beer

• Some secret combination of some or all of the above

As with lots of other things in life, spritzing preferences vary wildly. If you use a liquid that has sugar, the outside will get darker. But, because of the additional liquid, the outside of the ribs will be wet and not develop a crust.

And these preferences are built over time, one rib at a time. It takes experimentation to figure out what works for you. You have to be willing to try different things, different recipes, listen to different people.

But no matter how many people you listen to, how many YouTube videos you watch, how many different recipes you read and try. One thing is ultimately true.

You choose.

You make a choice, no one does it for you. You eliminate some other things in order to use something else.

The same is true with hope. You can stand around all day and complain all you want that you don’t have hope. You can complain on social media until your bloodied fingers fall off. But, to solve your hope problem and question, you must make a choice. You must choose hope.

The first part of that hope choice is knowing that you need hope.

The second part of your hope choice is choosing hope.

If you don't know what gives you hope, ask a friend, and look for hope together.