Barbecue, is the world's oldest cooking method and people have been gnawing on ribs since the beginning of time. Most people love ribs because they are primal eating. No forks, no linens, just meat on a stick, and sauce on your face. Knowing how to make decent ribs will land you a man...... knowing how to make incredible ribs will land you a man who will be at your beck and call. The saying is the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach......... well with bar-b-q ribs, its pork-nography to them.
The secret to good ribs is the meat you use and the time you cook them. In Texas we are lucky, we have sales on ribs often, but they might not be THE BEST type of ribs out there. You can do any ribs the way I suggest, but to get incredibly tender, mouthwatering ribs, you have to be willing to spend some.
Ok, first.... wash your ribs and remove the membrane if your butcher didn't. Remove excess fat too. Then pat dry with paper towel. Then lightly coat the meat with cooking oil. That will help the spice rub penetrate. Wash your hands after in warm water and soap. Now, sprinkly BBQ dust on the ribs (about 2TBSP on each side). Wash your hands again. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight.
BBQ dust:
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons ground rosemary
First rule of thumb when grilling..... don't use lighter fluid. It taints the charcoal and gives the meat a different taste. You cook ribs, low and slow!!!! Don't rush perfection, the Sistine Chapel wasn't painted in a day!
The best type of ribs to buy is St. Louis cut ribs, or babyback ribs if you must. They are smaller and cook faster if you are in a rush. SLC ribs cook in about 5 hrs, and Babyback ribs cook in about 3 at somewhere around 225* (don't go under 200*). If you buy fresh meat, ask the butcher to remove the membrane so you don't have to. When you use the charcoal or hickory chips (best), use the pyramid method. My dad showed me how to it when I was younger, and watched him. He took dryer lint from the laundry room, and placed it at the bottom of the grill. He then took a coffee can with both lids removed. (a huge can) He placed the can on the lint and started carefully layering his charcoal. On each layer, he added some lint. (catches fire easily) He filled the can with about 8-10 oz of charcoal) and then lit the bottom lint, which eventually lit the remaining lint, and so on. When the charcoal turns white, its ready to cook ribs. Remove the can and spread the coal pieces around. You are slow cooking these suckers, no need to overcook them with too much charcoal, so remember you don't need a lot. Right before you add meat add 2 more ounces of chips.
Now put the slabs in the cooker, meaty side up. Now go away. Halfway through the cook you will need to move the ribs closer to the fire if you can. If you can't, keep lid on. No peaking. If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'. Everytime you open the lid you are taking away from valuable cook time. You can add 2 oz of more chips when you move the ribs closer if you want, and feel you are losing heat. Remember not to overcook.
Halfway through the cook you will need to move the ribs closest to the fire to the far side and the far slabs in closer. Otherwise, keep your lid on. Opening the lid just upsets the delicate balance of heat, moisture, and oxygen inside your cooker. It can also significantly lengthen the cooking time. No peaking. If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'.
Here's an optional step that you might want to include. It makes a huge difference but adds a bit more time to cooking time.
After 4 hours of cooking ribs wrap the slab in heavy duty foil with a small amount of apple juice for 30 minutes. This will add flavor, moisture, tenderness. Makes them pull away from bone effortlessly. After the 30 minutes in foil, take the meat out of the foil, pour the juice into a saucepan, place the ribs back on at 225F for 30 minutes to firm up the surface. Take the liquid from the foil and mix it with maple syrup and cook it until it is thick. Paint on the glaze and let it bake in for about 15 minutes.
If you are too lazy to do all of this.... buy this Texas Rib Rangers Barbeque Sauce, flavor sweet mild. The best bbq sauce in Texas!
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Originally Posted by Major_Payne
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