How Long To Grill Ribs On Charcoal

Shorten The Time The Hot And Fast Method

There is a faster way to cook ribs. Instead of cooking at 225 °F , youll bump up the temperature to 325 °F .

Place your ribs on the top rack and cook unwrapped for 1½ to 2 hours.

After they have a nice deep color, wrap them in foil or butcher paper. The paper method allows some of the steam to escape, keeping the bark intact and preventing them braising.

Return them to the grill for another 1½ to 2 hours. Check for doneness. Use the last 30 minutes to sauce your ribs and cook on a glaze.

Finally, take them off and let them rest for 15 minutes.

With this method, you can reduce the cooking time by approximately 2 hours, but increase the chances of overcooking and drying out the ribs. Just be diligent about the meat and dont leave it alone too long.

For a fuller description, recipe and method, see this article from HeyGrillHey.com

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How To Cook Ribs On The Grill

How long do ribs need to cook on the grill?

How long does it take to grill ribs? Depending on the heat of your grill, it should take between one and two hours in total. Use visual clues to determine when your ribs are done they should be soft and readily penetrated with a fork, but not falling totally off the bone.

How To Cook Baby Back Ribs

Step 1: Light your grill and set up for direct heat cooking. Using a reliable leave-in thermometer, establish grill temperature at 400° F.

Step 2: While the grill is preheating, trim ribs by taking off any stray hanging pieces of meat and cleaning up the edges as needed. Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs by grabbing a corner of it with a paper towel for grip and peeling it off.

Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dry rub. Reserve ¼ cup of the rub and transfer the remaining rub into a shaker bottle.

Step 4: Season the ribs, starting with the bone side of the ribs first, then flip them over and season the meat side of the ribs. Set the ribs aside while you make the mop sauce.

Step 5: Bring wet ingredients of the mop sauce to a low boil over medium heat, then whisk in the reserved rub. Reserve one cup of mop sauce and set aside. Keep the remaining mop sauce over very low heat to keep warm while cooking the ribs.

Step 6: With grill temperature stabilized at 400° F, place ribs over direct heat, bone side down. Close the lid and set a reliable timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, open the lid and mop the ribs with warm mop sauce. Flip ribs, close the lid, and start the timer for another 15 minutes. Repeat this process for 90 minutes.

Step 7: Remove ribs from the grill and plate them meat side up. Mop the ribs one last time and give them a light sprinkle of rub. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with reserved mop sauce.

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Internal Temp For Ribs

The fat on pork ribs begins to break down at about 185-190 degrees. Cooking the ribs past this point helps to assure that the fat has rendered.

Without the fat rendering, the meat may not be as juicy, it might be a little chewy, and it wont pull off the bone easily.

Measure the temperature by probing between the bones. Try to get directly between the bones in the thickest part of the ribs. Doing so will help you get an accurate reading.

The perfect internal temp for ribs is 203 to 205 degrees F. This temperature works regardless of your cooking method.

Youll find that these ribs are so juicy, tender, and nearly fall off the bone. Theyre perfect for summer backyard barbecues!

Smoked Baby Back Ribs On A Charcoal Grill

Smoking ribs is a true labor of love. Try these easy-to-follow steps to create mouthwatering and flavorful smoked baby back ribs today!

Smoking ribs is a true labor of love, but you dont need some fancy smoker to get the job done. All you need is a basic charcoal grill, common knowledge, and some easy-to-follow steps to create mouthwatering, succulent, and flavorful smoked baby back ribs in your backyard.

I know this because the grilling enthusiast I live with is pretty passionate about smoking ribs. According to David, it is hard to beat a rack of perfectly smoked baby back ribs slathered in sauce.

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What Charcoal Grill Do I Need For Ribs

First, you need to make sure you have the right equipment. You don’t need anything fancy, but you will need a full-size charcoal grill like this Weber Kettle Grill. The 22″ grate is needed to provide the lengthy ribs some space away from the hot coals.

I also recommend picking up a chimney starter while you are at it. It is the easiest way to light charcoal and get a measured amount, for consistent grilling every time.

Prepare A Great Barbecue Sauce

It doesnt matter which cooking method youre using: Barbecue sauce is an essential element of any great rack of baby back ribs. However, a major mistake many people make when preparing ribs is putting on the sauce way too early, resulting in burned bits of sauce and undercooked meat. For optimal results, brush your ribs with barbecue sauce during the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking time . Start off by brushing on a few thin coats, always keeping an eye on the rack. That sugar in barbecue sauces will add beautiful caramelization and flavor, but if it cooks too long or at too high of a heat, it will burn. Just before serving, its OK to add even more sauce.

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Grilled Ribs On Gas Grill

Preheat your gas grill to 350 degrees F. and prepare your ribs. Remove the membrane if you wish, add a marinade to your ribs, or even a dry rub. Plain ribs are just fine here, too. Pre-marinated ribs work excellent as well!

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Heres where it gets really easy.

Now that you have your ribs sauced, BBQ pellets going, and grill preheated, its time to cook the ribs!

Note: Charcoal users, you may have to refresh your charcoal to maintain the heat.

Using a grill grate thermometer will help.

I have one of these thermometers to measure meat and grill temps at the same time!

How To Keep Charcoal Grill At 225f

The length of time required to cook ribs will depend on both the meatiness of the ribs and your grill temperature. And your grill temp can vary based on things like the outside air temperature, moisture inside the grill, wind or air flow, type of charcoal, etc. But if using a Weber 22 kettle with standard Kingsford briquettes, the following is an almost foolproof process for controlling the temperature:

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How To Remove Membrane From Ribs

All pork ribs have a tough membrane on the backside. This needs to be removed because your salt and rub wont penetrate it. Also, it doesnt make for fun eating when your teeth cant bite through it very well.

To remove the membrane, it’s a simple matter of inserting a butter knife between the membrane and one of the middle bones and prying away. Once you get it started, continue to work along this bone with the knife, always prying the membrane up a little at a time until you get to the other end.

Using a butterknife to separate the membrane from the ribs.

Now, grab the loosened membrane with your fingers and pull it up. The membrane should pull off from both ends of the rack. The membrane is a bit slippery, so it’s best to use some paper towel to get a good grip.

Using paper toweling to hold onto the slippery membrane helps you grip as you pull the membrane off of the ribs.

Preparing The Charcoal Grill

Now it’s time to turn your charcoal grill into a smoker. This is easily done with two disposable aluminum pans. They should be about half the size of your charcoal grill. One of these pans will act as a drip pan that helps hold the charcoal in place and keeps drippings away from the fire. The other pan will be filled with water to add moisture to your grill and to help regulate the temperature.

Start with a clean charcoal grill. Remove the cooking grate and start the charcoal. We’re using a charcoal chimney which will light the perfect amount of charcoal. You will need enough charcoal to cover half the coal grate with three layers of charcoal.

Once the charcoal is lit, place one of the aluminum pans on the coal grate and pour the charcoal on the other side. You might need to bend the pan a little to fit it properly.

Now, it’s time to add the wood. The wood is important for creating the smoke. We suggest large wood chunks since it will take longer to burn and provide smoke as you need it. Use several chunks for a good smoke supply.

Return the cooking grate and place the second aluminum pan on it, directly over the charcoal. Fill with as much water as it can hold. The goal is to keep the grill at a consistent and low temperature . The water will steam away slowly and you shouldn’t need to add more water, but keep an eye on it.

Now you have converted your grill into a smoker.

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What If Youre Camping And Want To Enjoy Grilled Ribs Thats Easy Too

How To Make Bbq Ribs

If you want to grill BBQ Ribs, and who doesnt? You simply need a BBQ dry rub for ribs and/or your favorite homemade BBQ sauce. I prefer to use both, but you can use either based on your personal preference.

Dust the ribs liberally with the dry rub prior to grilling, this can even be done the day prior if desired. The BBQ sauce will be applied to the ribs during the final hour of cooking. The heat from the grill will transform the BBQ sauce into a delectable sticky jam clinging to the meat! You can even make great BBQ ribs in the oven when it isnt grilling season!

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When You Want Smoky Grilled Flavor Make Your Baby Back Ribs In The Oven And Finish Them On The Grill Get A Head Start By Baking Them The Day Before And Refrigerating Overnight A Quick 15 Minutes On The Grill Is All It Takes For Crispy On The Outside Tender On The Inside Baby Back Ribs Be Sure To Lather It Up With The Homemade Bbq Sauce

Charlie McKenna is a master BBQ and rubs chef. After graduating from New York’s Culinary Institute of America in 2000, he became a sous chef at two legendary Chicago-based restaurants, Tru and Avenues in the Peninsula Hotel.

His Southern inspiration has won him numerous awards, including in 2007 and 2016 at Memphis in May. While his love of southern cooking has expanded with Southern Revival Hospitality, his restaurant group, it’s his BBQ sauces and rubs that are his true passion. Combined with his early upbringing at his grandmother Lillie’s dinner table, he began and operates Lillie’s Q, a cooking company that provides southern BBQ sauces, rubs, and kettle chips to those who want to bring the southern flair to their own dinner table.

• 13.5 poundrack pork loin back ribs

• ¼cupyellow mustard

BBQ Rub

• 1 ½teaspooncelery seeds

• 1 ½teaspooncumin seeds

• 1 ½teaspoonyellow mustard seeds

• 1 ½teaspooncoriander seed

• ¾cupturbinado sugar

• ¾cupdark brown sugar

• 3tablespoonfine sea salt or kosher salt

• 4teaspoononion powder

• 1 ½teaspoondried oregano

• 1 ½teaspoonground black pepper

BBQ Sauce

• 2 ½cupdark brown sugar

• 1 ½teaspoonblack pepper

• Pinch cayenne pepper

How To Prepare The Ribs

The key to any good round of ribs is proper preparation. This stage can make or break the success of your meal and neglecting good prep will give you bland, inferior ribs. Simply throwing them as you bought them onto the grill isnt going to cut it.

For your rib choice, I suggest going for pork. And then there are 2 varieties: Spare or baby back ribs.

Personally, I prefer spare. Theyre cut from the belly-end of the ribs, so are much meatier. Baby back are a little shorter but still an excellent choice. Cooking time tends to be about 4-5 hours for spare and 3-4 for baby back.

Its also important to bear in mind that your grill will dictate the size of the rack that you can cook at once. We want as much of the ribs to be exposed at once, so its not a good idea to pile them on top of each other. As a result, you will probably only be able to fit one rack of spareribs on the grill or two racks of baby back. Keep this in mind when preparing your ribs.

You will then need to cut the ribs down to just the rib rack. If you havent done this before, check out my full guide on how to trim spare ribs.

Start by removing the membrane from the rack. Not a lot of grillers do this, but doing so removes this thin skin off the back of the ribs, allowing them to be tender and packed full of flavor.

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How To Cook Baby Back Ribs On A Charcoal Grill

Using a knife and a paper towel, carefully cut away the membrane on the rear side of the ribs. Use a large amount of dry rub. Place the seasoned baby back ribs on the grill and cook them for 2 hours on low heat until they are tender. Approximately 2 hours after removing the ribs from the smoker, cover them in aluminum foil.

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How Long To Grill Ribs On A Charcoal Grill

Cooking time depends on grill temperature. The idea is to keep the grill at a consistent temperature of around 225°F .

Low and slow is the name of the game and why you need to give yourself plenty of prep time.

At 225°F , its going to take at least 5 hours, possibly just over 6 to cook them.

Although we want the internal temperature of ribs to be 190°F minimum, it doesnt mean theyre ready. It takes time to break down the connective tissues that make them tender, and sometimes we need to take them and slowly up to as high as 205°F

The basic timeline looks like this:

• 3 hours of smoking unwrapped
• 2 hours of cooking wrapped in foil
• 1 hour of cooking unwrapped at a higher temperature to finish

Your ribs may take more or less time depending on your grill. Remember to occasionally rotate them, check fire, smoking wood & water every 30 minutes.

Test for doneness, not time or temp, and you should be ready to serve perfect ribs. Ill talk about doneness in a moment.

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How To Tell Ribs Are Ready

The USDA recommends that pork and beef both be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F to be considered done. Many professional chefs cook beef steak cuts to only 128°F or so before they are served.

Its important to note here the difference between safe to eat and finished.

Since ribs are tougher cuts of meat, they should be cooked longer and until they reach a higher internal temperature so that the connective tissues and fats have ample time to break down and render.

Ribs are generally cooked until an internal temperature of 190°F to 205°F. Aaron Franklin, a BBQ idol of mine, recommends that you cook to an internal temperature of 203°F.

The best way to tell if ribs are ready is to measure internal temperature of your meat with a probe meat thermometer. When measuring, make sure that the probe measures a thick section in the center of the slab. The bones are sure to be piping hot and will throw off your temperature reading if the probe gets too close.

There are also a couple of quick checks you can do if you dont have a thermometer handy:

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How To Grill Ribs Fast And Simple About An Hour

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