When I think of great barbecue ribs I'm thinking of "real" smoked barbecue.
"Real" being the kind of ribs that have been rubbed down with spice and spent 3 or 4 hours on the smoker.
You know...
the kind that have that smoky flavor and almost "fall off the bone" tenderness.
Most backyard cooks have trouble achieving that kind of perfection because they just don't know the proper cooking tips for getting great results.
By following the tips below the backyard cook can be the hit of the barbecue event and become the legend of the barbecue season.
For great ribs we assume that you are going to go the extra mile and cook them in a smoker.
The best barbecue ribs are cooked over charcoal or wood...
sorry gas grill aficionados but gas can't compare.
Now keep in mind that a smoker can take many forms and it does not have to be elaborate to get the job done.
The main point is that to smoke you don't want to put the ribs over direct heat where the temperature is too hot.
A good smoke temperature is between 225 and 250 degrees.
To get started let's begin with preparation of the ribs: 1) Clean the ribs thoroughly and pat dry.
Remove the "fell"..
..
that thin membrane on the underside of the rib (concave side).
Pry up a corner and take a paper towel to grab the edge and pull.
It pulls right off 90% of the time.
If it doesn't just grab another corner and pull.
2) Sprinkle the ribs with your favorite rub and cover the entire surface of the ribs, top and bottom.
3) Wrap the spice rubbed ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight.
4) After marination let the ribs come to room temperature before putting them on the smoker.
5) Prepare your smoker by lighting the charcoal and letting the smoker temperature come to about 225 degrees.
If you have a kettle or some other direct grill just be sure to arrange the coals so that cooking is indirect instead of direct.
6) You are going to need some wood chips or chunks for the smoke so be sure to soak them in water for about an hour before using.
7) Put the ribs on the smoker bone side down.
Add a couple of wood chunks to the fire to get the smoke going.
8) Cook the ribs over the charcoal for about 2 hours and then wrap them in foil.
Add a little apple juice to the foil and close.
Don't wrap them too tightly.
9) Cook for about another hour to an hour and a half.
You can tell when they are close to being done when the meat starts to pull away from the bone.
10) If you like to sauce your ribs when they're cooking don't brush the sauce on until the last 15-20 minutes.
Take them out of the foil, brush on the sauce, and place back on the smoker to let them glaze over.
11) When done remove them from the smoker and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Slice the ribs along the bone into separate ribs pieces and serve.
"Real" being the kind of ribs that have been rubbed down with spice and spent 3 or 4 hours on the smoker.
You know...
the kind that have that smoky flavor and almost "fall off the bone" tenderness.
Most backyard cooks have trouble achieving that kind of perfection because they just don't know the proper cooking tips for getting great results.
By following the tips below the backyard cook can be the hit of the barbecue event and become the legend of the barbecue season.
For great ribs we assume that you are going to go the extra mile and cook them in a smoker.
The best barbecue ribs are cooked over charcoal or wood...
sorry gas grill aficionados but gas can't compare.
Now keep in mind that a smoker can take many forms and it does not have to be elaborate to get the job done.
The main point is that to smoke you don't want to put the ribs over direct heat where the temperature is too hot.
A good smoke temperature is between 225 and 250 degrees.
To get started let's begin with preparation of the ribs: 1) Clean the ribs thoroughly and pat dry.
Remove the "fell"..
..
that thin membrane on the underside of the rib (concave side).
Pry up a corner and take a paper towel to grab the edge and pull.
It pulls right off 90% of the time.
If it doesn't just grab another corner and pull.
2) Sprinkle the ribs with your favorite rub and cover the entire surface of the ribs, top and bottom.
3) Wrap the spice rubbed ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight.
4) After marination let the ribs come to room temperature before putting them on the smoker.
5) Prepare your smoker by lighting the charcoal and letting the smoker temperature come to about 225 degrees.
If you have a kettle or some other direct grill just be sure to arrange the coals so that cooking is indirect instead of direct.
6) You are going to need some wood chips or chunks for the smoke so be sure to soak them in water for about an hour before using.
7) Put the ribs on the smoker bone side down.
Add a couple of wood chunks to the fire to get the smoke going.
8) Cook the ribs over the charcoal for about 2 hours and then wrap them in foil.
Add a little apple juice to the foil and close.
Don't wrap them too tightly.
9) Cook for about another hour to an hour and a half.
You can tell when they are close to being done when the meat starts to pull away from the bone.
10) If you like to sauce your ribs when they're cooking don't brush the sauce on until the last 15-20 minutes.
Take them out of the foil, brush on the sauce, and place back on the smoker to let them glaze over.
11) When done remove them from the smoker and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Slice the ribs along the bone into separate ribs pieces and serve.