Pork Ribs -- Baby Back and Spare

[Marlene]

Just got back from camping. I took baby back ribs with me that I marinaded using Jaymes' recipe. Since I didn't have an oven to slow cook them in for several hours, I double wrapped them in foil and let them sit on the bbq on med low for about an hour and half. Then unwrapped the foil, placed the ribs directly on the grill and basted them with some BBQ sauce. They were outstanding. Nice and tender, but not falling off the bone mushy.

[flacoman]

I always have prepped my ribs in a baggie with lime juice, garlic and S & P .

Something about the acid in the lime seems to keep the fat from dripping a whole lot. Quasi- Mojo rides again!

peace

Jorge

[ldubois2]

I always have prepped my ribs in a baggie with lime juice, garlic and S & P .

Something about the acid in the lime seems to keep the fat from dripping a whole lot.  Quasi- Mojo rides again!

peace

Jorge

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We marinate them in Coke and OJ equal parts overnight. Seems someone in this post used Dr. Pepper. Then we cook at 200 degree oven all day in the same marinade. Cook on the grill to finish with BBQ sauce. They are great and simple.

[Paul B]

Let me wade in with my rib recipe, so popular with my family and friends that they simply call it "THE ribs." In the recipe it says to broil in an oven, but the last stage is actually done better on the bbq:



2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:

3 parts tablespoons white sugar, tightly packed

1 parts coarse salt

1 oart paprika

1 part tablespoon chili powder

1/2 part ground black pepper

1/2 part cayenne pepper

½ part allspice

1/2 part thyme

1/2 part onion powder or, better, ground up dried onion flakes.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Make as much as you want because it keeps well in a closed container.

Braising Liquid:

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 265 degrees.

Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil or in a 'hot bag.' Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour but preferably over night. . In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

[snowangel]

OK. So, they aren't baby backs. I happen to prefer spare ribs. But, this seemed like the best place to report.

I smoked two nice racks today. I remembered to take a picture as I whacked up the second rack.

Weber Kettle, Kingsford and a mess of hickory chunks. For quite a while (many beers).

Devoured. 8 of us put away 16 pounds (raw weight).

There is something unbelievably beguiling about smoked pork fat. My husband would say the same thing about that slightly smokey smell I will bring to bed tonight. Everyone agreed that I am achieving perfection with fatty pork, some wood, a few briquettes and my trusty Weber Kettle.

[SG-]

Me and my baby back ribs (and some curried chicken thighs and corn) at this point smoked for about 4hrs in a "Chargriller Smokin Pro with sidebox" getting another mopping.

[Paul B]

Here's my recipe, adapted from something I read long ago. It's a family fave.

2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:

3 tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic, chopped

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight.. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Cook for 1 minute.

Preheat oven to 265 degrees.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler or on the BBQ until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the ribs in the glaze. Serve with lots of napkins.

[snowangel]

Me and my baby back ribs (and some curried chicken thighs and corn) at this point smoked for about 4hrs in a "Chargriller Smokin Pro with sidebox" getting another mopping. 

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What did you use in your mop?

[SG-]

Me and my baby back ribs (and some curried chicken thighs and corn) at this point smoked for about 4hrs in a "Chargriller Smokin Pro with sidebox" getting another mopping. 

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What did you use in your mop?

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A few garlic cloves bashed up, few sprigs of thyme, some cognac, sliced onions, and diluted Stubbs BBQ sauce.

[CaliPoutine]

Did anyone bbq ribs for the Holiday weekend?

It was Canada Day yesterday, perfect time for grilling ribs.

I dry rubbed them on Thursday with my version of Cook's Illustrated's rub. I wrapped them in heavy duty foil and refridgerated them until Friday afternoon. I baked them for around 1 hr at 350 and them grilled them for about 7 min each side. I used the South Carolina BBQ sauce recipe posted upthread.

They were fabulous. Everyone raved.

[baconburner]

Kathy

Is your Japanese smoker the Green Egg?

If not what is it? They want $1000. Canadian for the "Egg" here in Vancouver. Have you found an equivalent at a more reasinable price?

Thanks Malcolm alias

Baconburner

[JPipes]

The fiance (sp?) and I got a brand spankin' custom pit as a pre-wedding present from her parents, and it is sweet. Of course, being from Texas, my worth is measured by my skill with the meat. Allright, that sounds bad, but you get my drift. I spent friday afternoon curing the pit with vegetable oil and plenty of smoke, all in preparation for Monday.

Come Monday, I rubbed two slabs of Spareribs with a homemade concoction, slapped 'em on the pit, shut it, and let them do their thing for 4 hours. I tried keeping the temp between 250 and 275 using a digital thermometer. Needless to say, much beer was consumed while I "tended the fire". Really I just didn't want to do dishes. 4 hours later, I pulled the ribs off and the flavor was incredible, nice and smoky, with some heat from the rub.

The only problem: tenderness, I don't know what I did wrong, but they are just not as tender as the ribs I have had at good BBQ joints.

Klink, I need your expertise!

I should have taken pictures....next time, I guess.

[fiftydollars]

I think you might have cooked them too hot and/or not long enough.

I would try to keep the fire a little closer to 225 degrees or so. I would also try cooking them longer. Sometimes spare ribs take up to 6 or more hours. It doesn't hurt to pull on the bone or, if in doubt, to eat one.

[snowangel]

Did you brine your ribs first? I think that's a must. I also prefer to keep the temp under 250, preferably in the 200-225 range. I also tend to smoke them for longer (at the lower temp) for longer than 4 hours, and always buy the packages of ribs that have the most fat on them. Fat is good, especially when smoking meat.

[JPipes]

Did you brine your ribs first?  I think that's a must.  I also prefer to keep the temp under 250, preferably in the 200-225 range.  I also tend to smoke them for longer (at the lower temp) for longer than 4 hours, and always buy the packages of ribs that have the most fat on them.  Fat is good, especially when smoking meat.

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No, I didn't brine them...that's a good idea. Next time I'll keep the temp down and smoke 'em for 6 hours.

I used the rub recipe from "How to grill Everything", only slightly modified with some ancho cile powder, and I can give glowing reviews for it. Damn good.

[snowangel]

Don't know if you served a sauce on the side, but I can most heartily recommend =Mark's South Carolina Mustard Barbeque Sauce. It has been mentioned on other smoking meat topics, and it always gets rave reviews.

Yes, smoke them longer. Mop them if you think necessary (I usually just use garlic infused olive oil).

[lancastermike]

Susan and everyone,

When you do your spares do you trim them to "St Louis Cut" or put the whole thing on? Some on the WSM virtual site do this. I have never done this, and I think they come out great. I did two full racks this weekend and they were great. Hickory and Kingsford on the WSM about 6 hours at dome temp of 250 which equates to grill temp of 230 or so. Great stuff. My wife likes sweet tomato sauce on hers so I put one rack on the gas grill with Sweet Baby Ray's sauce for her. I ate the naked ones. Very tasty. Do you wrap and hold them like butt? I usually do not. Would this be of help?

Hey everyone, keep smokin'. Once again thanks to all e-gullet smokers. The butt thread made me order my WSM and I have been smoking every weekend since.

[reesek]

ok ya'll, i'm a rib neophyte. i had ribs the other day cooked by a friend who cranked his gas grill to high and cooked off 2 half racks (baby backs) in about 30 minutes. i looked on with concern. i may not have cooked ribs, but my butt kicks ass. i was convinced they were going to be inedible - tough, dry...and flavorless.

they weren't. they seemed a little greasy, which i attributed to the short cooking time. they weren't super tender, but really, i was surprised at how very not bad they were. ok. i really liked them - but i need your help - i want to improve on them without losing the spartan simplicty.

he used no sauce, just salt and pepper. he let the s&p sit on the meat for maybe an hour. even on gas, the char was wonderful - crisp but not burned. there was no smoke in these, and i liked the assertive porkiness. (the words that come out of my mouth on this site...) but i like smoke.

here's my main problem - i've only got a (really crap) charcoal grill...no way to properly regulate the temp - can i slow roast these and then slap on the charcoal grill to crisp? if i'm cooking for so much longer - do i want/need some liquid? cali's ribs looked awesome, and she only cooked them for an hour in the oven...some people cook for 4. i'm trying to figure out the right timing - i like a little snap - but not whiplash. help gulleteers - must i wait until i have a new grill? oh - i also have a stove top smoker - can i make something work?

[fiftydollars]

Baby back ribs can be very forgiving and it is definitely possible to cook them on a grill, over high heat, really fast and still have them turn out ok. They are not like spare ribs, which would be pretty much inedible after the treatment you described.

If your charcoal grill has a lid, it will work fine for making ribs. Just make the fire on one side of the grill and leave one side with little or no coals. I usually divide the grill up about 25%-75%(or thereabouts depending on the application), with the largest section of the grill having no coals. I don’t necessarily sear my ribs, but if you do you can sear them over the hot coals and then move them to the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. I usually just put the ribs to smoke and when they are done, I slather them in a finishing sauce and quickly set the glaze over a fast grill. I find that if I sear first, the ribs don’t absorb as much smoke flavor as I would like (oh, yeah… you can add a bit of smoke flavor with a chunk of applewood/oak or a handful of wet chips wrapped in aluminum foil).

Edited July 6, 2005 by fiftydollars (log)

[snowangel]

It's been a long time since I've done baby backs. I really like the meaty of the spareribs better, and I can often get them way on sale, whereas they charge a premium for baby backs. Better watch for the baby backs to go on sale at my meat market.

When you do your spares do you trim them to "St Louis Cut" or put the whole thing on? Some on the WSM virtual site do this. I have never done this, and I think they come out great. I did two full racks this weekend and they were great. Hickory and Kingsford on the WSM about 6 hours at dome temp of 250 which equates to grill temp of 230 or so. Great stuff. My wife likes sweet tomato sauce on hers so I put one rack on the gas grill with Sweet Baby Ray's sauce for her. I ate the naked ones. Very tasty. Do you wrap and hold them like butt? I usually do not. Would this be of help?

I don't trim them to St. Louis Cut. I don't apply a rub. For some reason, I like my pork "nekked." Yes, about 6 hours, at about 225 or 230, or a bit lower. I use a Kettle, which works well for me.

Yes, I do wrap and hold like a butt, usually because I'm doing them for a "do" at our house, and I'd rather hold them than have to hurry them. And, I do think that they benefit from a rest, just like a butt. Probably because I always do ribs with as big a fat cap as possible.

Hey everyone, keep smokin'. Once again thanks to all e-gullet smokers. The butt thread made me order my WSM and I have been smoking every weekend since.

Warms my heart to hear this!

[reesek]

thanks fiftydollars. my grill does have a lid, but i think the vent is too small - the fire tends to smolder, and the coals usually go out before they turn white.

how often do you need to replenish the coals? for baby backs - how long would you let them go? (i see above you note 6 hours for spare ribs)

i agree with snowangel in that i like my meat pretty bare (salt and pepper - or maybe brine and pepper) but i'm not opposed to a little wood in there too. i'll give it a go. sigh...and find spareribs.

[snowangel]

Reminder, vents don't have to be full open to provide just enough to keep things going. And, assuming said grill has bottom vents, keep those cracked just a bit and you'll have a bit more bang for the fire than if you keep the top ones open.

[bleachboy]

I have made a number of rib recipes with varying degrees of success.

My parents' rib recipe is the type that has you parboiling the ribs, then slathering them with sauce and putting them on the grill to warm them up. This technique gets poo-poo'ed a lot, and I don't ever do this any more, but it really doesn't produce a bad rib -- it's just very one-dimensional, it tastes like boiled pork and BBQ sauce.

Alton Brown's rib recipe had a great flavor, and the rub was good. However, it didn't call for brining and they got a little "gummy" when the foil packs leaked during cooking. Only tried this one once.

My current rib technique, which several folks have declared to be the best they've eaten, involves brining them first in salt and sugar for one hour (the brine technique described in Cook's Illustrated's baby back rib recipe), then coating liberally with Col. Klink's dry rub, then smoking for about 3-4 hours at as low a heat as I can manage on the smoker. I have been known to spray the ribs with water while cooking to keep them moist -- otherwise the crust can dry out pretty badly.

I do not remove the membrane on the bony side, as I've found with the rub included it makes a nice crust, and if you're smoking it, it's crispy and smoky and delicious, so you at least get a little bit you can pull off the bony side to munch on.

I emphatically recommend brining, but don't overdo it. There's not much meat on a rib and while you might want to brine a nice thick pork chop for several hours, you shouldn't brine a rack of ribs for too long at all.

Lastly, I recommend buying ribs labeled "loin ribs" (they sell them in sealed three-packs at Costco) instead of "baby back" ribs. It's the same cut, but when they're labelled "loin ribs" they usually come from a bigger/older pig and have lots more meat on them. More meat makes the ribs harder to dry out, which is the very thing you're trying to avoid in rib cookery.

[snowangel]

More meat makes the ribs harder to dry out, which is the very thing you're trying to avoid in rib cookery.

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Let's not forget more fat. It is good. Very good.

[bleachboy]

Let's not forget more fat.  It is good.  Very good.

Amen, sister! My father-in-law brought me some ribs to cook for his birthday. They looked like they had been trimmed of all fat on the top. I did cook them for him, but also bought some of those cryovac'ed ribs from Costco (which are nice and fatty on top) and they were MUCH better.

It always makes me wonder -- why do the butchers trim off the fat?! It's something they can charge the customer for, and if the customer doesn't want it, they can always take it up to the butcher counter and ask them to trim the fat.

Like we've discussed in some other smoking threads, snowangel, it's a good tip to know that even at mass-market grocery stores you can usually get whole, untrimmed cuts from the butcher if you just ask. (I'm saying that for others' benefit, not yours, since I know you're a smokin' professional!)