Key to make good BBQ ribs?

[Hyperion]

I got some pork backribs for Indep day. But I have never Q'ed ribs before. I only have done chicken successfully on the smoker. Back in the days my stepdad would make bbq ribs quite often,but it usually turned out dry and meatless. I would like to ask what's the best way to bbq ribs, does the temp need to be around 220 and how many hours should I smoke it, and whether covered with foil or not?

Thanks!

 

[Rocklobster]

Wait for it!
You are going to get lots of advice on this one. There are some experienced rib cookers hanging around here. I have tried many different ways, from sworn authentic methods, to newer blasphemous ones. I have two smokers, a gas grill, bbq, and a fire pit. So, I've given them a go on just about everything.
Our favorite ribs around here are made with a two step process. First, I cook them in the oven, in a roasting pan, tightly sealed with foil, with a bit of tomato juice and water, a few garlic cloves, steak spice, for two hours at 275-300, dependng on the size of the ribs. Then I move them out to the grill on low for about one hour, flipping and saucing every 10 minutes or so making sure to keep the lid closed at all times in between the flipping and saucing. I usually add one smoker box full of chips. I use a homemade, ketchup based sauce and move them over and finish them off indirectly, so they don't burn. The magic starts to happen after about 40 minutes. They form a nice candied glaze and the sauce starts to get gooey and sticky. Heaven. I like to splash a bit of Louisiana style hot sauce on them so you get this sweet and sour thang going on. The bones pull out clean and it is pure eating bliss.....

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

RockLobster uses a great technique. You can also make a dry rub from brown sugar, soy sauce, or lime juice (Ive used both), chili powder, onion and garlic powder, and slather them all over the ribs. Foil, bake, then transfer to the smoker for an hour or so.

Alternately, I've used the dry rub and placed the ribs into my slow cooker on the low setting overnight, and then thrown into my Webber Kettle, set up with a divided set of coals, covered when hot with sticks of maple, close the lid, close all vents by half, and cook for 40 minutes. These ribs came out perfect. I put that recipe and technique into one of our local papers. My cousin found it, and specifically sought me out to thank me for it. It seems she had company up from North Carolina, where they take their bbq ribs very seriously, of course with the famous Carolina style vinegar based sauce. Her guests told me that the ribs she prepared, using the slow cooker/Webber kettle technique were the best ribs that they'd ever had.

Yep, my head swelled. A northern boy from Michigan won over a Carolina rib lover.

Put the brown sugar, salt, chili powder, onion and garlic powders together. Taste them. Add more of what you think it needs until it tastes right. Add a little soy or lime juice for extra flavor and massage into the meat (make sure the silver skin has been removed from the ribs). Either wrap in foil and bake, or throw then into the slow cooker. This cooks teh ribs to the desired state, keeping them juicy and tender. Smoking them in the smoker, or on the Webber gives you that wonderful smoke flavor. Apple or other fruit woods also make great flavored smoke.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Hyperion]

I have some dry rub that I use on every bbq I make lol. so in a nutshell, I should first rub the rib (should I leave it overnight?), then cook it slowly covered in a controlled environment (oven), and then finally smoke on the grill and glaze

 

[The OutDoor Chef]

I have some dry rub that I use on every bbq I make lol. so in a nutshell, I should first rub the rib (should I leave it overnight?), then cook it slowly covered in a controlled environment (oven), and then finally smoke on the grill and glaze

If you want to make a Kick ass bbq Comp style, rib that will get the people buying racks of ribs for you next time they come over?

I will give you a basic step by step and I would recommend Cinnamon Docs rub, And buying Apple Juice.

 

[Andy M.]

I have some dry rub that I use on every bbq I make lol. so in a nutshell, I should first rub the rib (should I leave it overnight?), then cook it slowly covered in a controlled environment (oven), and then finally smoke on the grill and glaze

I would rub it the day before and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can use both the oven and the grill or just the grill if you can maintain the grill at a low temperature for several hours while slow cooking and smoking. If not, start it in the oven and move it to the grill. For the oven time, they should be wrapped in foil or in a foil covered pan.

 

[Hyperion]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

If you want to make a Kick ass bbq Comp style, rib that will get the people buying racks of ribs for you next time they come over?

I will give you a basic step by step and I would recommend Cinnamon Docs rub, And buying Apple Juice.

if you don't mind I'll take the recipe why apple juice?

 

[pacanis]

Well, you can't go wrong with the bake then grill method. It works and is easy to control, especially if you are used to cooking things in the oven. You can even do them ahead and toss them on the grill the next day. No one will know.
Of course, you can't go wrong throwing them in the pit either, there is just more that can go wrong if you aren't on top of things. I think that is half the fun though.
And then there's grilling them indirect, which will produce results within 90% of BBQed ribs, just not quite as smokey, but again, easier to control.

If you have smoked chicken successfully before, go ahead and give the ribs a shot. 220F or thereabouts is good. Foiling them with some liquid a couple hours after smoking will give you some leeway as to cooking them through, but also keeping them moist. Foiling is a great crutch and will also speed up their cooking. It's not necessary, but it too works and is just one more method to help out with things.

If I get my rub on a couple hours in advance of me wanting ribs I'm doing good. Overnight is nice, but not necessary. Give them a good rub, wrap in plastic wrap and when the rub turns to a glaze, they are good to go.

So many ways, so few racks...

 

[The OutDoor Chef]

I would rub it the day before and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can use both the oven and the grill or just the grill if you can maintain the grill at a low temperature for several hours while slow cooking and smoking. If not, start it in the oven and move it to the grill. For the oven time, they should be wrapped in foil or in a foil covered pan.

I put my rub on the first thing in the morning about 2 hours before I start cooking them to guarantee no hammy tasting ribs.

Night before trim them remove the membrane.

Wrap in plastic wrap, and foil.


Next morning 3 hours before you actually throw the ribs on the cooker, take them out of the fridge. Get to room temp, Rub the ribs 2 hours before.

And as soon as you put the ribs on the smoker Sprinkle rub on the ribs again.

3 hours to smoke on the grill grate 275.f

2 hours in Foil with a 1/4 cup of apple juice, more rub.

1 hour on the grill grate again at 275. Mop with bbq sauce, let the sauce set.

Take them off the grill, Let the rest 15 minutes ( minimum resting time ).

Sprits with apple juice.

Then slice the bad boys so you get 2 bones per rib.

Done.

 

[Hyperion]

Well, you can't go wrong with the bake then grill method. It works and is easy to control, especially if you are used to cooking things in the oven. You can even do them ahead and toss them on the grill the next day. No one will know.
Of course, you can't go wrong throwing them in the pit either, there is just more that can go wrong if you aren't on top of things. I think that is half the fun though.
And then there's grilling them indirect, which will produce results within 90% of BBQed ribs, just not quite as smokey, but again, easier to control.

If you have smoked chicken successfully before, go ahead and give the ribs a shot. 220F or thereabouts is good. Foiling them with some liquid a couple hours after smoking will give you some leeway as to cooking them through, but also keeping them moist. Foiling is a great crutch and will also speed up their cooking. It's not necessary, but it too works and is just one more method to help out with things.

If I get my rub on a couple hours in advance of me wanting ribs I'm doing good. Overnight is nice, but not necessary. Give them a good rub, wrap in plastic wrap and when the rub turns to a glaze, they are good to go.

So many ways, so few racks...

my issue is I only have a charcoal weber kettle it's very hard to control the temperature. with smoked chicken though, the brined chicken can tolerate high heat pretty well (it can go above 300 inside the kettle sometimes), but I'm not so sure about the ribs. will bake-and-smoke method be able to put enough smokiness on the meat?

 

[The OutDoor Chef]

my issue is I only have a charcoal weber kettle it's very hard to control the temperature. with smoked chicken though, the brined chicken can tolerate high heat pretty well (it can go above 300 inside the kettle sometimes), but I'm not so sure about the ribs. will bake-and-smoke method be able to put enough smokiness on the meat?

Here's a Youtube link for the Minion Method.


Way to smoke for 5-6 hours with this method.
YouTube - ‪Pork Barrel BBQ - Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Tip - How to Light the Fire - Minion Method‬‏

 

[Hyperion]

I put my rub on the first thing in the morning about 2 hours before I start cooking them to guarantee no hammy tasting ribs.

Night before trim them remove the membrane.

Wrap in plastic wrap, and foil.


Next morning 3 hours before you actually throw the ribs on the cooker, take them out of the fridge. Get to room temp, Rub the ribs 2 hours before.

And as soon as you put the ribs on the smoker Sprinkle rub on the ribs again.

3 hours to smoke on the grill grate 275.f

2 hours in Foil with a 1/4 cup of apple juice, more rub.

1 hour on the grill grate again at 275. Mop with bbq sauce, let the sauce set.

Take them off the grill, Let the rest 15 minutes ( minimum resting time ).

Sprits with apple juice.

Then slice the bad boys so you get 2 bones per rib.

Done.

I have a charcoal grill so I think on the grill twice with 2 hours apart will be kind of wasteful for all the charcoal heat is there a way to modify this recipe so only 1 grill session is needed?

 

[Hyperion]

Here's a Youtube link for the Minion Method.


Way to smoke for 5-6 hours with this method.
YouTube - ‪Pork Barrel BBQ - Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Tip - How to Light the Fire - Minion Method‬‏

hmm I'll try this method. where is the best place to put the meat on? it seems like it's hot in the middle and cold on the side in the beginning, and then the hot spot will gradually move towards the edge.

 

[The OutDoor Chef]

hmm I'll try this method. where is the best place to put the meat on? it seems like it's hot in the middle and cold on the side in the beginning, and then the hot spot will gradually move towards the edge.

This is what I do all the time.

I use that method, I leave the bottom vents SHUT.

And the top vent cracked half way open.

And you want to look for THIN BLUE smoke.

And you're golden, And if you got a water pan, I would make room for the water pan and fill it up completly with Whiskey, apple juice, Water.

 

[pacanis]

my issue is I only have a charcoal weber kettle it's very hard to control the temperature. with smoked chicken though, the brined chicken can tolerate high heat pretty well (it can go above 300 inside the kettle sometimes), but I'm not so sure about the ribs. will bake-and-smoke method be able to put enough smokiness on the meat?

There's only one way to learn to control the heat, and that's by forging ahead. Vents will only do so much and then you need to rely on how much charcoal is lit and how much unlit charcoal it is igniting that you might also have in your grill.
The Minion method is great for long burns, but if you dump a lot of lit charcoal on top of the unlit, you are going to have very high temps starting out, increasing as more charcoal lights. You will never be able to throttle it down enough without snuffing things out.

And IMO, no, it will not pick up the same smokiness precooking them in the oven. I'm of the camp that believes your smoke is picked up in the beginning, before the meat gets to 140F. Any smoke added after that is more residual.

You could always start them on the grill with your smoke, move them into the oven after a couple hours, then sauce and finish back on the grill... but that is basically what wrapping them in foil with a liquid is for in the middle step of 3-2-1. Of course, if they aren't full racks, six hours will be way too long. You should really judge them by how flexible they are and how much bone is getting exposed.

 

[roadfix]

I've done ribs two ways using the Weber kettle......low and slow under 275°F, and when I'm pressed for time, 350°F for about 2.5 hours, which I think the kettle at this temp is most happy and easier to work with.
Foiled ribs have given me more tenderness for the most part but I generally do not foil them during the cook.
I usually apply rub at least a couple of hours prior to cooking.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have a charcoal grill so I think on the grill twice with 2 hours apart will be kind of wasteful for all the charcoal heat is there a way to modify this recipe so only 1 grill session is needed?

Like I said earlier, I use the indirect method with a Webber Charcoal grill, with all vents close half. I put wood on top of the two banks of charcoal and smoke the ribs, without brushing or mopping them with extra rub/sauce. Pre-cooking in the oven, or in the slow cooker makes 'em tender, and turns the rub into a glaze. And because ribs have a large amount of surface area, it doesn't take very long to make them very smoky in flavor. In fact, if you smoke them a bit too long, they can become bitter. 40 minutes tops is how long I leave them in the intensely smoky Webber. I have had nothing but rave reviews for my ribs. I use the larger spare ribs, rather than baby backs, as they have more meat.

This method also works when making pulled pork. There are those who say that what I do is just wrong. But the proof is in the eating. I cook the Boston Butt in the slow cooker overnight on low, then pull it, then place the meat into my largest cast iron pan. Fire up the Webber with a solid bed of coals, as the pan protects the meat from the direct heat, put wood on the coals, put the pan on the cooking grate and cover with the Kettle lid. I let it smoke for 15 minutes and stir. Put the lid back on for fifteen more minutes. Again, because of the large surface area of the meat, which is all exposed to the smoke, I get the flavor of a Boston Butt cooked for hours in a smoker. Tose who have eaten my pulled pork have always come back for more, and more, and more.

I am one who looks at the physics of the cooking process, and use that knowledge to get the results I want. I am always re-inventing the wheel, trying to make great food accessible to those without smokers, or special equipment, like me. You learn quickly in the engineering field that there are always alternate solutions to any problem. If you have the time and equipment to smoke ribs by the time-honored method, then by all means, do it. If you don't, you find another way. I refuse to let other people's ideas keep me from making great food, just because I don't have the means to follow their rules.

I'm sorry for the rant; and no one on this post has called me to task for my cooking methods, but it has happened before. Use the method that is most available to you. All of the methods mentioned in this thread will give you great ribs. I salute all of you for your expertise, and willingness to share what you know.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Rocklobster]

Like I said, you are going to get a lot of opinions....

 

[Hyperion]

Like I said, you are going to get a lot of opinions....

lol yea... it's hard to make a decision but I think I have made one

I plan to smoke the rib first until I like the color showing on it. and then I'll wrap it up with some kind of liquid and let it braise in the kettle for several hours until meat is tender. and then I'll unwrap and glaze

 

[The OutDoor Chef]

lol yea... it's hard to make a decision but I think I have made one

I plan to smoke the rib first until I like the color showing on it. and then I'll wrap it up with some kind of liquid and let it braise in the kettle for several hours until meat is tender. and then I'll unwrap and glaze

Do the 3, 2, 1, method and you will have awesome ribs.