Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
What is your best rib recipe/technique? I'll start by giving you the recipe that has gotten me "The best I ever ate" comments, and from people I'd never before met (I put it in our Tribal paper).
Best Ribs in SSM
Summer is nearly here, a perfect time to break out the grill. A perennial favorite for this holiday is succulent, smoky spare ribs. Though the baby-back ribs are all the rage these days, the other cut, I believe they’re called Louisiana cut spare ribs, are less expensive, and have more meat on them. When treated properly, in my humble opinion, they beat baby-back ribs for flavor and texture any day of the week.
As every barbecue pit master will tell you, phenomenal ribs take a day’s worth of loving care in a smoker that will cost you a month’s salary, with three hundred pounds of hardwood fuel, right. Wrong. I’m giving you a recipe that will produce fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and succulent ribs that require a night in the fridge and 40 minutes in a covered kettle or gas barbecue, and a few sticks picked up from the woods, or a bag of cheap hickory chunks that can be had at the supermarket.
Here’s how I did them two days ago, to rave reviews from guests and family alike (I was told by one guest that these were the only ribs she’d ever had that required no sauce, and by my wife that they were the best ribs she’d ever eaten). Best of all, these are easy to make, and inexpensive. Now what more can a guy ask for?
Smoky Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
2 racks pork spare ribs
3 tbs. salt
4 tbs. mild chili powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbs. granulated garlic powder
2 tbs. granulated onion powder
1 tbs. rubbed sage
Wood chunks/branches cut into 6-inch lengths, maple, hickory, mesquite, cherry, or tag-alder wood.
Combine the salt, chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, onion, and sage in a bowl and blend together until evenly mixed. This is yoru dry rub mix. Lay out the ribs on a covered working surface. Remove the silver skin from the back of the rack. Rub both sides of the ribs with your dry rub, massaging the seasoning mixture into the meat. Place in a suitably sized plastic bag, and seal. Refrigerate overnight.
To cook, Fire up the grill with two divided beds of charcoal, each pile on opposite sides of the grill, with a four inch space between the piles. Light the charcoal and let it get hot. Place a disposable aluminum bread pan between the charcoal piles and fill half way with water. Put the wood on top of the charcoal piles. Put the grate over the grill.
Place the ribs directly over the drip pan, put the grill cover on and set the vents all to the half-closed position. Cook for 1 hour.
Remove the ribs to a slow cooker, or wrap in heavy-duty foil. If using the slow cooker, cook on low heat for four hours, then remove to a serving platter and enjoy. If wrapping in foil, place the foil pack onto a cookie sheet, and into your oven, et at 290 degrees F. Roast for four hours. Remove and serve.
I’ll let you figure out your favorite side dishes for this meal. Enjoy.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
Best Ribs in SSM
Summer is nearly here, a perfect time to break out the grill. A perennial favorite for this holiday is succulent, smoky spare ribs. Though the baby-back ribs are all the rage these days, the other cut, I believe they’re called Louisiana cut spare ribs, are less expensive, and have more meat on them. When treated properly, in my humble opinion, they beat baby-back ribs for flavor and texture any day of the week.
As every barbecue pit master will tell you, phenomenal ribs take a day’s worth of loving care in a smoker that will cost you a month’s salary, with three hundred pounds of hardwood fuel, right. Wrong. I’m giving you a recipe that will produce fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and succulent ribs that require a night in the fridge and 40 minutes in a covered kettle or gas barbecue, and a few sticks picked up from the woods, or a bag of cheap hickory chunks that can be had at the supermarket.
Here’s how I did them two days ago, to rave reviews from guests and family alike (I was told by one guest that these were the only ribs she’d ever had that required no sauce, and by my wife that they were the best ribs she’d ever eaten). Best of all, these are easy to make, and inexpensive. Now what more can a guy ask for?
Smoky Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
2 racks pork spare ribs
3 tbs. salt
4 tbs. mild chili powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbs. granulated garlic powder
2 tbs. granulated onion powder
1 tbs. rubbed sage
Wood chunks/branches cut into 6-inch lengths, maple, hickory, mesquite, cherry, or tag-alder wood.
Combine the salt, chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, onion, and sage in a bowl and blend together until evenly mixed. This is yoru dry rub mix. Lay out the ribs on a covered working surface. Remove the silver skin from the back of the rack. Rub both sides of the ribs with your dry rub, massaging the seasoning mixture into the meat. Place in a suitably sized plastic bag, and seal. Refrigerate overnight.
To cook, Fire up the grill with two divided beds of charcoal, each pile on opposite sides of the grill, with a four inch space between the piles. Light the charcoal and let it get hot. Place a disposable aluminum bread pan between the charcoal piles and fill half way with water. Put the wood on top of the charcoal piles. Put the grate over the grill.
Place the ribs directly over the drip pan, put the grill cover on and set the vents all to the half-closed position. Cook for 1 hour.
Remove the ribs to a slow cooker, or wrap in heavy-duty foil. If using the slow cooker, cook on low heat for four hours, then remove to a serving platter and enjoy. If wrapping in foil, place the foil pack onto a cookie sheet, and into your oven, et at 290 degrees F. Roast for four hours. Remove and serve.
I’ll let you figure out your favorite side dishes for this meal. Enjoy.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
