Piedmont BBQ Pork Marinade

I may be half-Yankee, but when it comes to food I'm just a southern girl at heart.  And this southern girl loves her barbecue (i.e. BBQ).  Now, for those of you non-southerners, BBQ doesn't actually have anything to go with a grill, hot dogs, or burgers.  The word "BBQ" isn't a verb - it's a noun.  In other words, it isn't something you do (i.e. "I'm going to BBQ tonight"), it's something you eat ("I'm fixin' to go get some BBQ - y'all want some?")

However, I have a few problems getting my hands on some good BBQ these days.  First of all, I now live in Oklahoma.  They don't understand here that good BBQ has to involve a pit and a pig.  Second, I was raised by a Yankee mother and a somewhat absentee southern father who wasn't redneck enough to actually cook a whole pig himself.  So now I'm completely dependent on others for my BBQ.

So what do you do when you have a craving and you can't get a BBQ fix?  Well, I chose to get some boneless pork ribs and made a marinade from a BBQ sauce recipe I found online (for the original link, click here).  I adjusted the recipe by substituting some oil for water (it IS a marinade, after all) and using cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes to make it a little less spicy.  And if you're a little put off by the amount of vinegar in this recipe, you should know that my dear husband, The Honey, doesn't like vinegar-based BBQ, but he LOVED this marinade!


Piedmont BBQ Pork Marinade
(Don't know what a "Piedmont" is?  It's the region in South Carolina where I used to live!)

1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in a shaker bottle or a glass with a lid.  Shake until well combined.
Yes, this is really all you need to do.

Place pork into a gallon-size ziplock bag.  I had about 1-1/2 pounds of boneless pork ribs, but you can use chops or whatever kind you prefer.  Pour marinade into the bag with pork, and let marinate for at least several hours, turning from time to time for better coverage.  The longer the better!

Grill and serve with some other yumminess, such as garlic mashed potatoes and sliced cucumbers.  (Never fear, the mashed potatoes recipe is coming up next!)