There are many right ways to make BBQ Ribs. In this little tutorial we'll look at several variations you can use to get the BBQ ribs you want. After all the best pork BBQ rib is the one you like best. So if you want them fall off the bone tender then make them that way. If you want a crisp, crunch surface then I will show you how to do that as well. You can put sauce on them or not. You can make your BBQ Ribs spicy hot, or sticky and sweet. It's all up to you and don't let anyone tell you that it isn't right.
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. BBQ Ribs - Preparing the Smoker - We're going to start with the smoker. For this tutorial we will be assuming that you are smoking your ribs on a smoker. You can adjust the process for a grill if you must (see Barbecue Ribs on the Grill). You want to set up your smoker to hold a temperature around 225 degrees F (107 degrees C) for about 6 hours (see Smoking 101 for more information). You will want a strong smoke source at the beginning of the cooking time and again at the end if you add sauce to your ribs. This is best done by adding wood chunks to the fire when you first put the ribs on the smoker to cook.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel and a good strong fire going with your smoker adjusted to hold the right temperature and we'll get started on preparing the BBQ ribs.
2. BBQ Ribs - Preparing the Pork Ribs - There are a number of ways to prepare a rack of ribs for smoking. The trouble is that most of this preparation takes place before you can get your hands on them. What you want to look for is a good, full rack of ribs that is even in thickness throughout. If the rack is thin on one side and thick on the other it won't cook evenly. Of course the nature of ribs is that they have a meaty side so you can't get a perfect evenness. Just look for one that isn't too lopsided. Good trimmed spare ribs won't have anything hanging off. Make sure you cut away any loose piece of meat or fat. This will dry out while cooking.
The last point is considered the most important trimming task for a good rack of smoked ribs, removing the membrane. The membrane is a layer of skin on the bone side of the rack. This tough material blocks flavor and smoke from reaching the meat and will make the ribs tough. Cooked at low temperatures the membrane will remain tough and will detract from the eating (the most important step). Removing the membrane can be easy if you do it right. Start at one end of the rack and with a blunt knife work your way under the membrane along the surface of the last bone. Using a paper towel grab hold of the membrane and peel it off. Some times you can get it in one grab and sometimes the rack is just stubborn and it might take a few tries to get the majority of the membrane off.
3. BBQ Ribs - Pork Rib Rub - The rub is your best source for flavoring your BBQ Ribs. The rub goes on before the ribs do and the flavors of this spice mixture have the whole cooking time to sink into the meat and give your ribs a lot of flavor. You can pick a sweet rub, a spicy rub, or a savory rib rub. The choice is yours. Remember that hot spices will mellow during the cooking time so if you want your ribs spicy hot you will have to make sure you make it very spicy. With your ribs trimmed and your smoker hot its time to put on the rub. If you apply the rub too early your ribs will get a "hammy" flavor. By applying the rub closer to the cooking time you will get all the flavor without the texture of the meat being changed by the salt and spices you find in rubs. Of course if you prefer you can put the rub on earlier, but I suggest you experiment with it first.
The rub should be applied to the whole surface of the rack of ribs, thick enough to heavily coat the meat. Only so much spice will stick to the ribs and that's how much you want, as much as will stick.
From this point forward you want to be careful how you handle the rack of ribs. The more you handle the ribs the more rub will fall off.
4. BBQ Ribs - Placing Pork Ribs on the Smoker - Knowing your smoker is vital to producing good barbecue. You want to make sure that your BBQ ribs get exposed to even heat so if you know there is a hot spot you need to make sure you are prepared to deal with it. When placing your ribs in the smoker you must also make sure that you are not blocking the flow of air. An even airflow all around the ribs (and through the smoker) is very important. Make sure you place your ribs in the center of the cooking area and that the smoke can move evenly around all sides of the rack. If your smoker doesn't have a lot of space you might consider buying a rib rack. A rib rack allows you to stack the ribs on their sides so that you can fit more rack on your smoker than if they were laying out.
One tip with putting your rack of ribs on the smoker is to not stretch out the rack. Meat shrinks as it cooks and you don't want to limit that action. Once you place the rack on the smoker push it together gently from the ends. This will let the meat (and fat) contract evenly as it cooks. Stretching out the rack can cause the ribs to be a little tougher once cooked.
5. BBQ Ribs - Wrapping the Ribs - You can just let your BBQ ribs smoke as they are but many people swear by what is known as the 3-2-1 method. This method calls for smoking the ribs unwrapped for three hours followed by two hours wrapped in heavy duty foil. The ribs finish up with one additional hour unwrapped. This process allows the ribs to be exposed to smoke for 4 hours while they steam in their own juiced for two hours. This makes the ribs more tender but can cause them to become a little two tender. If you want the rib meat to stick to the meat then you might want to skip the wrapping. If, however, you want fall of the bone ribs then you definitely want to wrap them for the two hours. A full rack of spare ribs should be smoked for about 6 hours. During the first few hours is when the meat is going to absorb the most smoke flavor. This is why it is important to make that you are producing a good supply of smoking during the first few hours.
Just to make sure you are clear follow these steps:
3 hours unwrapped on the smoker.
2 hours wrapped tightly (air tight) in foil on the smoker.
1 hour unwrapped on the smoker.
If you are using baby back ribs then the cooking time should be about 5 hours. If you want to wrap your baby backs reduce the first phase to 2 hours.
6. BBQ Ribs - Barbecue Sauce - Once your ribs are getting close to being done (look for an internal temperature over 170 degrees) it is time to think about how you want to ribs to be served. The first question is about the surface of the meat. Smoked ribs are tender from end to end. Some people however like their ribs to be a little crispy on the surface. To do this you will want to take the ribs from the smoker and place them over a high, direct heat. This can be done over the fire in your firebox if your smoker has one, or on a gas grill. The trick is to put the rack of ribs on the high heat for about two minutes a side. This will crisp up the surface and give the ribs crunch.
If you do take this direction you do not want sauce on the ribs before they hit the heat. Sugar, which is a primary ingredient to most sauces, burns at 265 degrees F. If you rack has sauce on it the sauce will burn over this high heat. If you crisp the ribs you can apply your sauce after they come off the high heat. You can put on the barbecue sauce and return the ribs to the smoker for a while to help the sauce sink in. However, don't leave the ribs here too long. The combination of the low and slow heat and the barbecue sauce is going to soften up the surface of the ribs again and you will loose that crispy surface. You can simply apply the sauce, cut and serve if you want.
If you are not going to be crisping the surface of the ribs you can start applying the sauce anytime towards to the end of the cooking time. If you wrapped the ribs you can start putting on the sauce as soon as the foil comes off. By putting the sauce on and continuing to smoke the ribs you will get more smoke into the sauce and the barbecue sauce will cook onto the surface making the ribs sticky, but not dripping in sauce (if you want them dripping keep adding sauce). If you want the extra smoke flavor put in more wood.
7. BBQ Ribs - Cutting Ribs and Serving - Like any meat you cook it is important to let it rest before you carve and serve. This evens out the heat and lets the natural juices flow back towards the surface of the meat. For a rack of ribs you should let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. Once this period is over it is time to cut the ribs and serve. Try not to let your ribs sit around too long or the meat will dry out.
To cut the ribs take a good sharp meat knife in one hand and the rack of ribs in the other. It is easiest to carve ribs by setting them standing up on the meaty side. (bones should be sticking out a little on the top side). Now you can simply side the knife down through the rack between the bones. If you guide it down directly between the bones you should be able to pass the knife through easily.
If your ribs are "fall off the bone" tender then you want to lay the ribs down, bone side up, and cut them the best you can. If the ribs are very tender the meat will tear apart more easily than it will cut. Be careful or you will lose the shape of the ribs and simply end up with a pile of rib meat.
The last part is to take note of your ribs. Too tender? Not tender enough? Too sweet? Too spicy? If you record your process the next time you smoke some ribs you will be able to make the necessarily adjustments to the process to get the ribs you want.
BBQ / Grilling / BBQ / Grilling
