The secret's in the sauce at Eastwood's rib burnoff

NILES

Rib vendors say they take their profession seriously but will disclose the secret behind good ribs as long as you don’t ask about the ingredients in their sauces.

“That’s the one thing you protect,” said Joe Henderson, 56, of Mansfield, owner of Hog Wild BBQ, one of several vendors in competition at this weekend’s 26th annual Mahoning Valley Rib Burnoff in front of Eastwood Mall.

“Besides the sauce, it’s the wood in the smoker and the rub [seasoning],” said Henderson, who divulged that his rub contains paprika, garlic, onion and brown sugar. He said Hog Wild #3 Sauce, his personal favorite, is “sweet, a little spicy and tangy.”

Ingredients?

“That’s confidential,” Henderson said.

Cliff Mortimer of Austintown, owner of Armadillo’s, agrees that delicious ribs require more than a good sauce.

“Barbecue is all about the curing process, and we use a hickory wood cure,” said Mortimer, 43, who also is one of the organizers of this year’s burnoff.

For more on their recipes and the event, read Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.