First Timer Ribs
Well, if this is your idea of the perfect rib, heres your master recipe. It will teach you the principles of first-class ribsmanship skinning the ribs, rubbing the meat, using a mop sauce, glazing with a barbecue sauce, and harnessing the mouth-watering powers of wood smoke. But ultimately, its so simple you can prepare it from start to finish in about an hour and a half, only ten minutes of which is actual work.
Well, if this is your idea of the perfect rib, heres your master recipe. It will teach you the principles of first-class ribsmanship skinning the ribs, rubbing the meat, using a mop sauce, glazing with a barbecue sauce, and harnessing the mouth-watering powers of wood smoke. But ultimately, its so simple you can prepare it from start to finish in about an hour and a half, only ten minutes of which is actual work.
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- for the mop sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup apple cider
- 3 tablespoons bourbon or 3 more tablespoons apple cider
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- for the rub and ribs:
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard (preferably colmans)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoons celery seed
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs total)
- lemon brown sugar barbecue sauce
- you'll also need:
- 7 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or apple) soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
- lemon brown sugar barbecue sauce (about 3 cups):
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard (coleman’s)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- Carbohydrate 86.91676875 g
- Cholesterol 551.5375 mg
- Fat 142.8089625 g
- Fiber 3.14101256491244 g
- Protein 115.56665875 g
- Saturated Fat 54.904125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (768g)
- Sodium 6904.489 mg
- Sugar 83.7757561850876 g
- Trans Fat 13.4568495 g
- Calories 2115 calories
Step-by-step
- Make the mop sauce: Melt the butter in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cider, bourbon, and soy sauce. Keep warm until ready to use.
- Make the rub: Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, mustard, garlic powder, and celery seed in a small bowl and mix with your fingers, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar or garlic powder.
- Prepare the ribs: Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a baking sheet. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. The best place to start is on one of the middle bones. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with the remaining rack.
- Set aside 2 tablespoon of rub for serving. Sprinkle the remaining rub over both sides of the ribs, rubbing it onto the meat. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you set up the grill.
- Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325 to 350F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate.
- When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grate, over the drip pan and away from the head. If cooking on a charcoal grill, toss half of the wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs for 45 minutes.
- Mop the ribs on both sides with the mop sauce. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours in all. When the ribs are cooked, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch. Mop the ribs again every 15 minutes and, if using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals as needed.
- Just before serving, brush the ribs on both sides with some of the Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce and move them directly over the fire. Grill the ribs until the barbecue sauce is browned and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the racks in half or into individual ribs. Sprinkle a little of the reserved rub over the ribs and serve at once with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
Removing the thin, papery membrane from the bone side of baby back ribs is the single determinant of success or failure. Leaving this tough collagen barrier intact prevents any rub or smoke from penetrating the meat and results in a leathery texture along the bone. Slide a butter knife under the membrane near the middle bones, grip the loosened edge with a paper towel, and peel it off completely in one continuous sheet before seasoning.
Freezing, Storing, and Reheating
Cooked pork ribs handle cold storage remarkably well when wrapped properly. Cool the finished racks completely at room temperature, wrap them tightly in a layer of plastic wrap followed by heavy-duty aluminum foil, and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat frozen ribs without drying out the lean pork, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Place the thawed ribs in a baking dish, add a few tablespoons of apple cider or water to create moisture, cover the dish tightly with foil, and warm them in a 325-degree oven for twenty to thirty minutes until heated through. Brush with fresh barbecue sauce during the final five minutes of warming to caramelize the sugars without burning.
- Greasy texture on the meat typically indicates wood chips that were insufficiently drained before hitting the coals.
- Thinning sauce too much with lemon juice compromises adhesion during the final direct-grilling phase.
- Drying out during reheating usually stems from an unsealed foil cover letting steam escape.
