Vegetarians beware. This is a post for the carnivores. Sorry, just move along.
John Washam here, TalkToTheManager founder and grill-freakin'-master. Since today is a day of celebration (for those in the States), I'm breaking out my favorite recipes for ribs! But not just any old ribs - baby back ribs (pork). Yes, beef ribs and spare ribs are nice, but baby back ribs are the money ribs. The ones pictured above I made just today!
So let's get started!
Smoking on the Grill
OK, so I live in the city and haven't owned a grill in a while, but when I do get the opportunity to jump on the grill, here's how I make ribs on the BBQ. I slow smoke 'em. Not 14 hours type slow, just city slow :)
Wood Chips
Take your favorite wood chips that you'd like to use for smoking ribs. Some prefer mesquite, some prefer applewood. I have no preference. Just grab a couple handfuls of wood chips and put them in a bowl of water for a few hours, preferably overnight. This allows the chips to soak up that water so that when you put them on the grill to smoke, they don't just burn up. That's the wrong kind of smoke.
Rib Prep
There is a white membrane that runs along the back of a rack of ribs (the bony side, not the meaty side). You'll want to remove that so that the ribs are easier to eat. Depending on where you buy them and how they're packed, the membrane can be removed easily or hardly at all. If you can get a fork under the membrane to get it started, then yank on it until it peels off, you're good to go. I've seen the pros use pliers (to be able to grab solidly with a wide surface area). If it keeps ripping every time, the ribs have been packed too moist. In that case, just use a knife to slice the membrane multiple times so it doesn't impede chewing once cooked.
Aye, there's the Rub
Next, prepare your rub. I do my ribs what I think is called "Memphis" style. Google that for me, will ya? I'm writing a blog post here. I do my ribs with a dry rub. Some prefer their ribs smoked "naked" or with sauce slathered all on 'em. Just gimme the rub. My favorite rib rub recipe is:
- Recipe: Memphis-style Rib Rub
This isn't the original place I found the recipe. I printed it off the internet years ago. That recipe will get you enough for about one and a half racks of ribs (front and back). Double or triple the amounts as needed. If you make enough, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for months.
Starting with the bony side up, apply the rub to the ribs by shaking it over the ribs, and then push the rub into the ribs to help it stick. If you use plastic gloves it can help keep it from sticking to your fingers. You want the rub on the ribs, not you. Apply liberally to both sides and the edges, too. You want to coat it thick.
Readying the Grill
Since we're smoking these ribs and not "grilling" them, fire up the grill and put it on low. If you have a thermometer on the grill, it should be in the smoking zone, around 200 degrees. If you are short on time, push the temp a little higher.
We're going to let these smoke for 3 hours. Take the wood chips that were soaking in water and place them in a metal pie pan on the grill. Right over the heat. The ribs will be placed in the cold area of the grill. They will cook slowly by indirect heat. If you have a really large grill, fire up 2 sides and put the ribs in the colder area in the middle. While this is cooking, do not open the grill. You'll just let the heat out. A wise man once said: "If you're lookin', it ain't cookin'".
If you are in a hurry and you made it a little hotter (about 300-350 degrees) then 2 hours is enough. Place the ribs over the heat on low (as low as it gets), while the other burner is a little higher. You'll need to flip halfway through cooking.
Rib Mop
You may not need it, but it's something fun to try. If you find that the ribs dry out when you're cooking, you can apply a rib mop to keep them moist. Kind of like basting. Here is the recipe I've used in the past:
- Recipe: Best Odds Rib Mop
This is made with vinegar, so your ribs may have a little bit of a sour taste. Try it out and see how it does for ya.
Another Approach: Ribs in the Oven
OK, yes it sounds just wrong. But I tried this once I moved into a small apartment, and have loved it ever since. Here's the recipe:
Most pitmasters will tell you you can't get "fall off the bone" ribs without doing something terrible like boiling your ribs. Slow cooking ribs just does not have the intensity needed to break down the muscle to bone fibers. But I found a way, and it's not on the grill.
Here's how this recipe works. You start off with prepping the ribs and making and applying the rub, just like in the section above. Then, you preheat the oven to 300 degrees. What we're going to do with this recipe is not boil the ribs. We're going to steam them. But in a good way. Trust me, you will thank me once you try this.
An additional prep tip, since we're not smoking these. You can buy liquid smoke at the store and put it in a little spray bottle. A few spritzes over your ribs and they'll smell and taste like you smoked 'em. Do this before you cook them, though.
All you need is an oven, your prepared ribs, and aluminum foil. You'll take 2 sheets of foil, shiny side out, and place the ribs on them, meaty side down. Then place another 2 sheets on top, with shiny side out. This next part is really important. You'll go around the edges of the foil, and curl all the edges together very tightly. I have to go around the whole thing about 3 times to make sure it's all curled up nice and tight. The reason you have to curl and crimp the foil is to make an airtight cocoon around the ribs so that as the heat rises inside and the natural moisture turns to steam, that steam stays inside and doesn't have any cracks or holes to escape. Just be careful as you get closer to the ribs or one of the rib bones can poke through, ruining your patient work.
So once it's all done up, you pop it in the oven for two and a half hours. And just wait.
After the cooking's done, you'll open the metal cocoon with some scissors (careful of that steam, it's hot!) and then curl down the sides a bit so the top is open. Cut the ribs into sections. This is where you'll find that the meat is really falling off the bone. The reason you cut it is so that you can move it. If you try to move the whole rack with anything less than industrial-grade tongs, the rack will fall apart. OK, so it's cut into pieces. Flip the pieces so that the meaty side is up. Then if you like you can put some BBQ sauce on it. I sometimes put sauce on a few of the pieces. Next you'll fire up the broiler in the oven and cook that sauce on top. It's all in the recipe, so I won't repeat it here.
Give It a Rest
Before you eat ribs, let them sit about 10-15 minutes. Hopefully you won't go mad during this time. That waiting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. If you just go cutting into it right away, the juices will flow out, which looks appealing, but you'll be eating dried meat.
Enjoy your day and rock some ribs!