Amazing rib recipe...

[Greatwhite]

Let me start by saying that the key to good ribs is the sauce.  The rib itself is just a holder for sauce...

I go to Ribfest on Sparks street, and year after year, I wonder why I pay $20 for a half rack of fatty side ribs and cold pulled pork when I make better at home.  I have yet to find a restaurant that can compete either.  None of my friends will make ribs if I am coming over for dinner anymore... That said...

ONLY BUY BACK RIBS.  Back ribs are almost always on sale somewhere.  My favorite are the cryo-vac packs from Super Store / Independent / etc.  They are usually Maple Leaf brand, and you can get 2 BIG racks for $12.

You have to prepare the ribs first...  There is a thin membrane on the back of the ribs that I peel off.  Start on the skinny end, and scrape with your finger nails until the membrane is up enough to pull the rest of the way off.  That membrane being off will help the sauce saturate the rib.

I then boil them... I cut the rack into thirds and boil them in slightly salted water (medium heat after boiling) for around 2hrs.  This is what makes them "fall off the bone" tender.  I usually start making ribs around 10am to eat at 6...

While they are boiling, I make my sauce.  I usually make ribs for 6-8 people when they are lucky enough for invites over.  I'm mentally trying to scale back the recipe for 2 racks instead of 6..

3 cloves of garlic, coarsely minced
1 tbsp olive oil

Sautee the garlic to "soft". Add the following spices:
½ tsp pepper (I use fresh ground pepper)
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp montreal steak spice

Sautee for about 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly or it will burn.  Heating the spices brings out the flavor.

Add 2 cups of BBQ sauces. I use a blend of whatever I have in the house. I like 1 cup of Hickory bbq sauce, some teriyaki, hoison, steak sauce, and top up with Smokin' Stampede Beer & Chipotle. Experiment with what you have in the house to come up with something good.

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 shot whiskey or similar (Jack Daniel's is good in here!)

Simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken a bit. When it cools, it will thicken because of the sugar, and when it's on the ribs – it gets real nice & sticky.

I like my sauce sweet, so will sometimes add more sugar or maple syrup.  I found this weekend that I was out of my nasty Canadian Club rye that usually ends up in my sauce, so used a shot of Glenfiddich scotch instead...

Now... After the ribs have started pulling back from the end of the bone, take them out of the water and put them on a platter or in a big baking dish -- or whatever they will fit in and cover with tin foil.  They will continue getting more tender as they cool.

You can finish them in the oven in the winter, but in the summer - the only way to do them is on the BBQ.  And if you have a smoker box for your BBQ, even better.  I like to use apple wood in my smoker box, but it's all good really.  I used hickory on Sunday.

Spread the ribs on the bbq on the opposite side from your smoker box, or whatever burner you are going to use.  You don't want them on direct heat!!!  Light the burner opposite the ribs and immediately turn it as low as it will go.  If your BBQ is equipped with a thermometer, keep it around 200 degrees.  Slow roast the ribs for ~2hrs.  This is especially important if you are smoking them to get maximum flavor.  Basically at this point, roasting on low heat is drying out the water from boiling, to give you a real nice "fall off the bone, dry rib"...  I like them best this way.

After 2hrs, coat the ribs with the sauce and keep the heat real low still.  You can turn on more burners if you want, but it's not real important.  Close the lid and wait 10 minutes for the sauce to get warmed.

EAT, and savor the spicy sweet & smokey flavor...

I once tried smoking ribs from raw...  I did them for around 6hrs.  They were delicious, but not as tender as if I had boiled them first.  So I always boil now.

[Greatwhite]

Oh, and if Pulled Pork is more your style... Same sauce, maybe a little more sugar because it should be sweeter!

Put a pork roast (any cut will do, really...) into a slow cooker, and cover it with rootbeer.  Slow cook that for 6-8 hours.  Drain it, remove the bone if there is one, and break up the meat. Add sauce, simmer a little longer if  you like, and enjoy.

I made it on Canada Day for my friends... Had about 20 adults (30ish kids had hotdogs) and no one had ever had better pulled pork.  I was leery of the rootbeer part when I read about it on the internet, but figured I'd give it a go and it was AMAZING.   I got a 7lb pork loin on sale for $13...  It made a BIG pot of pulled pork! (I cooked it for 12hrs and then another 4hrs after adding sauce)

People like coming to my house for BBQ. 

[elk]

The only thing you left out is your address and date of next bbq.

[Greatwhite]

The only thing you left out is your address and date of next bbq.

lol.. I suppose that WOULD be easier...

[Stussi613]

You had me up until you said boil the ribs.

I consider myself a pretty good BBQ cook. I've got a few Weber Charcoal Grills and a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker. Like you, all my friends say I make the best BBQ they've ever had, even a friend from South Carolina that grew up with 10 BBQ joints within walking distance of his house.

I never, ever, ever boil ribs. When you do, all the pork flavour ends up in the water. I used to make ribs exactly the same way you do. When you pick up the rib the meat would just slide off. If you read anything about KCBS judging (I am a KCBS judge, btw) ribs should have a hard bark on the outside but still be tender, when you bite them they should leave a defined semi circle where the bite was taken without them falling completely apart.

I prep my back ribs the same way you do, remove the membrane, then I rub them in a homemade rub, then I smoke them for 6 hours with apple wood at 225 degrees. For the last hour I glaze them with BBQ sauce, and then rest them for 30 mins in foil before serving them.  I also do pulled pork and beef brisket on my smoker, but those go for 15 hours at 225.

I hope you noticed I'm not saying your way is wrong, if you love your ribs the way you cook them then all the more power to you...but taste is subjective and neither I, nor many other BBQ purists, would ever boil a rib and then use sauce to rehydrate it.  I would also bet that if people blind tested ribs done your way vs the way I would do them, 50% would love yours and 50% would love mine.

Here's some pics of my ribs:





And a 15 hour whole packer brisket with a kicker of 15 hour pulled pork under it on the smoker:

[JetJumper]

I think we need to have a Rib Cook off so we can judge   Name the place / time and I will gladly help judge!   I LOVE ribs and think this would be an awesome event

Who is with me!

[Darth]

I too am not a fan of boiling the ribs either

[exv152]

I never, ever, ever boil ribs...

D'ems fightin words. Looks like the only way to settle this is with a rib showdown.

[Greatwhite]

You had me up until you said boil the ribs.

Yeah, I know that boiling is not "ideal"... I may end up working a good smoker into my reno budget for the back yard next year because that's the best way to prep the ribs for sure.  My Napoleon BBQ has a charcoal tray with a wood chip section that I use for the smoking when I do that... but that only really smokes for 1.5hrs tops and then the chips are dead.

By boiling at then smoking the way I do, I get the nice crisp "bark" that you mention with moist and tender innards, and infuse the smokey flavor in nicely.

A friend of mine does EVERYTHING in his smoker... Briskets, ribs, chicken, pizza....  He has one of those "knock-off"  Big green egg smokers that weights a tonne...

Btw - my rib recipe has evolved from my parents' "boil the crap out of the ribs, and then cover them in PC Extra Spicy sauce, and into the oven" recipe...  They refuse to put any effort into their ribs, but I make a whole day event out of it.

[Hookup]

Until a few years ago I didn't like ribs..

Then my wife cooked me some and wow...

She boils em... and bbq em to finish.

The next evolution is for me to learn (attempt) how to slow-cook em on the Big Green Egg... 

@Stussi613 - thanks... to be sure I get it right
1) membrane off
2) rub of choice
3) 6 hour smoke at 225*
4) 1 hour glaze with sauce of choice (still at 225*?)
5) 30min rest (covered in foil i assume?)
6) enjoy the awesome

[az]

all of a sudden i'm very hungry!!

[Greatwhite]

Don't forget ... BACK RIBS ONLY.  Side ribs are so fatty...  Perhaps smoking them for 6 hours will render that fat away, leaving more tender meat - but I am done with side ribs.

My key to the glaze... Lots of brown sugary sweetness, and clubhouse Montreal Steak Spice.  You can pretty well add that to ANY store bought bbq sauce, and your ribs will be amazing.  All the other spices I put in are my own personal preference.

And always use LOW, INDIRECT HEAT!!!   Sugary sauce burns easily, and that is the end of the ribs at that point.

[daworldisblack]

I've got a few Weber Charcoal Grills and a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker.

How you liking the SM Smoker? I was seriously considering it too! And your first pic looks like its the Weber Kettle? You love 'em? Wouldn't mind a 'seasoned' pro's opinion Your ribs look awesome and i wanted to sink my teeth into that chunk of pulled-pork meat!

[bitterman]

You all are missing one thing, I do. I Brine the ribs before I start

-4L Water or something like apple juice
-1/2-1 Cup of Kosher salt (I stay on the lower end and leave in the brine longer)
-1-2 Cups of Brown sugar
-Spices  (depends on the flavors you want to infuse, I have used balck pepper, cyan pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg depends on what your doing for flavors )
-cut up large onion

-Take 1/3 to 1/2 the water add spices, sugar and salt.
-Stir until dissolved , turn heat down and let it barely simmer it infuse the spices into the brine, leave the lid on so you don't loose any moisture... also don't keep it boiling, just hot.. a few minor bubble coming up.
-Once finished (about an hour) turn off and allow to cool if you have time.
-Add the rest of the water

Wait till the mixture is close to room temperature and add your meet

Then at this point I add about 1/3-1/2 cup of cider vinegar, you won't taste it when finished but helps tenderize the meet and is really nice if you used Apply juice for your liquid and do an apple  mesquite ribs with home made apple butter BBQ sauce. At this point I also add the cut up Onion and put the ribs in a covered container in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

Once the ribs are brined I take them out and drain them for a about 45 minutes before they go into the smoker (You can use some curing salt also if you want the ribs to pink up and if you are cold smoking them for a long time to prtect you from bacteria).

Make your home make Apply Butter BBQ sauce while the ribs smoke for 2-5 hours in a cold smoker.

If you want really good and extra tender ribs take the smoked ribs and put it in a roasting pan covered in BBQ sauce at the lowest temp you can in the oven about 160F and cook till they are almost perfectly tender, then put them in the cleaned out container they were brined covered in the home made sauce you made and put them in the fridge for 2 days. This allows the flavorsome sauce to get into the meet.

The day you are going to have ribs take the ribs out of the sauce and clean them off so no sauce is on them (I scape it off with a rubber scaper). Now your ready to start BBQing and it does not take as long but you want to use a smoke box with more mesquite wood  to heat the ribs up and brown the outside while you hot smoke the ribs and also apply the BBQ sauce (The sauce might need more coking as the juice form the brine can make it more soupy so reduce the sauce some in a pan befor BBQ and add some brown sugar to it) the the last 30 minutes while you finish cooking the ribs is were you apply the BBQ sauce... its more of a Sweet, apply, spicey and slightly saltly BBQ sauce.

This is a good way to impress your guests but not do much work BBQing the day you have guests. Most the work is early in the week and time waiting. It also lends itself to doing the cooking on the stove off peak hours later in the evening other then the day you do the BBQing.

It only take about a week to make them

Bruce

[az]

its all talk we need samples 

[Greatwhite]

This is starting to sound like we need an OVAS ribfest...  If only a sponsor or 2 would donate some amazing prize for the winner... Like perhaps enough LED lighting for my 90G... 2 Radion fixtures perhaps...  anyone?? anyone??

The best thing about making ribs for a bbq is that guests can come over, and you can sit and enjoy a frosty beverage or 2 with them while you're slowly smoking the ribs.   Then it only takes a few minutes to sauce them up, and more beverage time before chow time!

[Stussi613]

How you liking the SM Smoker? I was seriously considering it too! And your first pic looks like its the Weber Kettle? You love 'em? Wouldn't mind a 'seasoned' pro's opinion Your ribs look awesome and i wanted to sink my teeth into that chunk of pulled-pork meat!

I have two Weber kettles (a Performer and a vintage red kettle) as well as the 18.5" WSM. I love them all. I got rid of my PC brand propane grill when it fell apart after a year of use and never looked back.

I can go for 15-20 hours on one load of charcoal in the WSM, but I have a BBQ Guru pit controller so I get VERY even burn times with it and can hold 225 until the coals are nearly gone.  I do overnight cooks a few times a month, but I dont lose any sleep. Get my cooker ready and my meat on by 10:00pm, make sure things are steady for an hour and then go to sleep. That brisket and pulled pork picture is from fathers day. It went for 15 hours without even opening the lid!

I'd recommend one to just about anyone, seasoned pro or not. There is a great forum I'm part of with tons of info for newbie's and seasoned pros alike. PM me if you want the link.

[Stussi613]

Until a few years ago I didn't like ribs..

Then my wife cooked me some and wow...

She boils em... and bbq em to finish.

The next evolution is for me to learn (attempt) how to slow-cook em on the Big Green Egg...  

@Stussi613 - thanks... to be sure I get it right
1) membrane off
2) rub of choice
3) 6 hour smoke at 225*
4) 1 hour glaze with sauce of choice (still at 225*?)
5) 30min rest (covered in foil i assume?)
6) enjoy the awesome

The green egg is amazing for smoking!!  They hold temps consistent for 24 hours on very little fuel.

GreatWhite is right, back ribs are best and you might have to alter times based on side or St. Luis cut ribs.

Your formula sounds right, but you've go to judge based on doneness too, not just time. Most people I know don't use a thermometer for ribs, but I do. I cook to at least 195 and check doneness with a toothpick. If it goes in like butter and comes out clean they're done. I usually don't start to sauce and check for doneness until about 175-180 degrees and incorporate that hour(ish) into my total time.  It could be 6 hours, or 7.  All cooking is done at 225.  And yes, 30 minute rest in foil is key.  I usually put mine in a cooler which keeps them over the 140 degree holding minimum and avoids bacteria growth.

[Stussi613]

This is starting to sound like we need an OVAS ribfest...  If only a sponsor or 2 would donate some amazing prize for the winner... Like perhaps enough LED lighting for my 90G... 2 Radion fixtures perhaps...  anyone?? anyone??

The best thing about making ribs for a bbq is that guests can come over, and you can sit and enjoy a frosty beverage or 2 with them while you're slowly smoking the ribs.   Then it only takes a few minutes to sauce them up, and more beverage time before chow time!

I'm down for a cook off!!

And you're right, the best part about low and slow BBQ is enjoying time with your guests and a few cold pops, not necessarily in that order!!

[Hookup]

The green egg is amazing for smoking!!  They hold temps consistent for 24 hours on very little fuel.

GreatWhite is right, back ribs are best and you might have to alter times based on side or St. Luis cut ribs.

Your formula sounds right, but you've go to judge based on doneness too, not just time. Most people I know don't use a thermometer for ribs, but I do. I cook to at least 195 and check doneness with a toothpick. If it goes in like butter and comes out clean they're done. I usually don't start to sauce and check for doneness until about 175-180 degrees and incorporate that hour(ish) into my total time.  It could be 6 hours, or 7.  All cooking is done at 225.  And yes, 30 minute rest in foil is key.  I usually put mine in a cooler which keeps them over the 140 degree holding minimum and avoids bacteria growth.

Thanks for the tips!  Most recipie are like guidelines and the temp recommendations help a lot!

The cottage has the large egg, I have the XL at home.  The XL is much harder to get temps lower and stable than the large...  That said, I'll be trying this at the cottage this weekend...  Have to do a brisket this fall when there hunting as well...

Thanks!  I'll let you know how we make out!


Have any fav Rub recipie you'd like to share?

[Greatwhite]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a rub... smoke them, and try my sauce recipe.  I'd be afraid of too much deliciousness if you also put a rub on them first!

[Stussi613]

Thanks for the tips!  Most recipie are like guidelines and the temp recommendations help a lot!

The cottage has the large egg, I have the XL at home.  The XL is much harder to get temps lower and stable than the large...  That said, I'll be trying this at the cottage this weekend...  Have to do a brisket this fall when there hunting as well...

Thanks!  I'll let you know how we make out!


Have any fav Rub recipie you'd like to share?

Here's my go to for pork:

1/4 cup turbanado sugar 
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika 
1/4 cup granulated garlic 
1/4 cup garlic powder 
1/4 cup black pepper 
2 tbsp cumin 
2 tbsp crushed celery seed 
2 tbsp cayenne pepper 
2 tbsp sea salt 

As you can see, I don't like allot of sugar in my rub, nor do I like a ton of heat.  If you like more of either feel free to adjust. I also don't use much salt in my rubs as i prefer to salt the meat before applying the rub.  Obviously there is a high yield on this recipe. I store in clean dry large mason jars and transfer to a shaker when I'm getting set to rub.

For brisket it's even more simple.

Coarse Ground Salt
Coarse Ground Pepper

That's it. Simple is best with brisket.

And finally, a BBQ sauce that will knock your sockes off, not my recipe...was started by a guy named Steve Petrone and last year this sauce, or a modified version of it won a great many competitions in the US.

No. 5 Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon rub

Opional but v. good: 1/4 cup meat drippings
(whats left in the foil after the rest)

Simmer to marry the flavors and thicken as desired.

Good luck this weekend!

[Darth]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a rub... smoke them, and try my sauce recipe.  I'd be afraid of too much deliciousness if you also put a rub on them first!

sorry don't mean to beat on your "recipe" but adding stuff to bottled sauce is like adding parsley to jar spagehtti sauce and calling it a recipe I think we would expect more of a homemade sauce from a self proclaimed recipe master

[Greatwhite]

sorry don't mean to beat on your "recipe" but adding stuff to bottled sauce is like adding parsley to jar spagehtti sauce and calling it a recipe I think we would expect more of a homemade sauce from a self proclaimed recipe master

What's the difference between taking hickory bbq sauce, and ketchup + spices?  Just sayin'...  It's just a head start.   I'll adjust my recipe to start from tomatoes from my garden, and I'll buy a couple pigs to make sure that there's no seasoning added by Maple Leaf.

But seriously though - there's a reason I haven't published my recipe anywhere (aside from sharing it here), because I can't take credit for the bottled bbq sauce base.  I get recipes emailed to me from allrecipes.com daily, and shake my head when I see things like the "add parsley to canned spaghetti sauce" - because that happens a lot!

It looks like Stussi's sauce recipe is pretty similar to mine, if you look closely... I just put all my spices directly in the sauce rather than rubbing it on first (and then more in the sauce).. Some time, try adding a shot of whiskey in there... It really adds to the flavor nicely...

I once made a sauce from scratch with apples and beer, and it was real good - but then I forgot what I did and couldn't reproduce it.

(btw - I'm a self-proclaimed rib master, not recipe master...   )...... (even though I boil 'em)

[Stussi613]

I don't want this to come across the wrong way so take it with a grain of salt...

When you boil all the flavour out of your ribs you need a strong sauce to make them tasty. When I rub mine and then smoke them then finish with a mild sauce they taste mostly of porky goodness, a little bit like the spice rub and a little bit like sauce.  One has big bold flavour of one variety, the other has complex subtle flavours of varying variety but mostly tastes like what it is.

I'm not saying my way is bettter, just that I don't need a strong sauce that permeates the meat in order to make them taste like anything other than boiled pork.

Like I've said, you love the way you cook them so I'm not going to knock them...although I may have come across like I was knocking them.

[Greatwhite]

When you boil all the flavour out of your ribs you need a strong sauce to make them tasty.

Yup, I agree.  Not sure I'd call my sauce "strong" once it's done.  Really, I just put stuff in it until it tastes good.   Last time I made them, the hickory smoke came through along with the brown sugar and red pepper...  I suspect the rest of the spices I put in were virtually useless, in the end.   (aside from the Mtl Steak spice, cuz that stuff goes on EVERYTHING) 

I didn't think you were knocking them at all... To each his own, they say.  If I had a smoker, I certainly wouldn't be boiling them either.  I've also heard of people using a slow cooker... I don't know if they add any liquid or not, though... I'd imagine NOT...

[Hookup]

Here's my go to for pork:

1/4 cup turbanado sugar 
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika 
1/4 cup granulated garlic 
1/4 cup garlic powder 
1/4 cup black pepper 
2 tbsp cumin 
2 tbsp crushed celery seed 
2 tbsp cayenne pepper 
2 tbsp sea salt 

As you can see, I don't like allot of sugar in my rub, nor do I like a ton of heat.  If you like more of either feel free to adjust. I also don't use much salt in my rubs as i prefer to salt the meat before applying the rub.  Obviously there is a high yield on this recipe. I store in clean dry large mason jars and transfer to a shaker when I'm getting set to rub.

For brisket it's even more simple.

Coarse Ground Salt
Coarse Ground Pepper

That's it. Simple is best with brisket.

And finally, a BBQ sauce that will knock your sockes off, not my recipe...was started by a guy named Steve Petrone and last year this sauce, or a modified version of it won a great many competitions in the US.

No. 5 Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon rub

Opional but v. good: 1/4 cup meat drippings
(whats left in the foil after the rest)

Simmer to marry the flavors and thicken as desired.

Good luck this weekend!

You sir are a gentile man!   Thank you.

[Stussi613]

1/4 cup turbanado sugar 
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika 
1/4 cup granulated garlic 
1/4 cup garlic onion powder (granulated if you can get it)
1/4 cup black pepper 
2 tbsp cumin 
2 tbsp crushed celery seed 
2 tbsp cayenne pepper 
2 tbsp sea salt 

Just noticed and fixed a typo...

[RedFish]

I'll just throw my two cents in.    We have a big green egg and usually go that routine.    One winter when ribs were on sale but the snow was high and hubby didn't want to go outside at all, I looked up an oven recipe, mis-read it and produced really fabulous ribs.

So when I make ribs (I don't use the egg) I put a rub on the ribs, or a sauce (usually home made) and leave them to marinate for a day.   Then I wrap them in double thickness of aluminum foil (make a long envelope) and seal them in with NO holes or gaps in the seal, and bake them in the oven for 2-3 hours at 300 degrees F.

When they come out so incredibly tender and moist and full of flavour I very carefully transfer them to under the broiler or to a regular bbq and coat with sauce and glaze them in the heat for just a few minutes.

They would not have the same texture that Stussi describes, but they sure are tender and full of flavour and we like 'em!

[Hookup]

Stussi613 - Thank you.  Ribs are awesome...  IMO a bit over done, but that's cause it was a small thin rack and cooked as if it was a big meaty rack.  Learning as I go on slow cooking ribs.   Again, thank you so much.  Rub and sauce are excellent.

T