Visited a top KC spot and noticed everyone skips the sauce

Last Saturday I drove up to Kansas City and hit up this well known joint near the Plaza, the one with the long line out front. I saw at least 6 tables get their ribs and brisket with zero sauce on the side, just dry rub and pickles. At first I thought it was odd since KC is famous for that sweet tomato molasses style sauce, but after one bite I got it. The smoke ring was deep and the bark had so much pepper and salt that adding anything would've ruined it. It made me wonder if the whole sauce obsession is dying or if people just trust the pitmaster more now. Do you folks usually douse your meat or taste it dry first at a new place? Has anyone else noticed this shift at their local spots?

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ruby_rivera768d ago

Are you sure those tables actually skipped the sauce, or did they just ask for it on the side and you missed it? At most KC joints the sauce comes in a little cup on the tray, not poured over the meat, so dry ribs on the plate don't mean much. Plenty of people taste a bite plain first, then dip as they go. That's been the norm around here for years, not some new wave of trusting the pitmaster. The sweet molasses stuff is still on every table, people just treat it like a condiment instead of gravy.

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