Hot And Fast Ribs Recipe
Here are the steps I used to cook these ribs on my BBQ42 Charcoal Grill. Im cooking 6 racks of baby back ribs. They should take a total of 2 to 2-1/2 hours to cook.
- Season the ribs with Meadow Creek Black Pepper Brisket Rub or your favorite rib seasoning.
- Fire the grill with 20 pounds of charcoal briquettes . Mound the charcoal in the center and light half of the coals with a propane torch. Use a garden hoe or shovel to mix the coals and spread them evenly. Toss in several chunks of smoking wood.
- Set the flat grate in place on the grill.
- Close the lid and top vents and adjust the bottom vents to 1/2 open. After 15 minutes, check the temperature and adjust the bottom vents as needed to stabilize the temperature at roughly 275 degrees F.
- Arrange the ribs on the grate meat side up and immediately close the lid. You dont want to give the fire too much air. Check on them every 15-20 minutes to make sure the bottom sides are not charring too much.
- After 1 hour, flip them to meat side down to keep them from burning on the bottom before they are done. Close the lid and only open it to check them every 10-15 minutes to make sure they are not burning on the meat side.
- Once they have the color you are looking for on the meat side, flip them back to meat side up, glaze the tops, and close the lid.
- Remove them from the grill when they are tender or reach 200 degrees F between the bones. Slice and serve.
What About the Smoke Flavor?
Charcoal mixed and spread evenly in the pan.
There Is A Distinct Difference Between Grilling And Barbecuing
The main difference? Time. Barbecuing is a long, slow process over low heat, producing deliciously tender, juicy meat from cuts that may be tough and dry when cooked more quickly. Grilling is reserved for chicken breasts and burgers, which are cooked over high heat for a short period of time.
Now, I understand that I am lucky to live in the great state of Texas where we know good barbecue from bad and most people have the luxury of space to hold at the very least a charcoal grill. Which is what we have in our backyard, alongside the trusty gas grill.
While it might be ideal to BBQ ribs in a smoker, those are a little harder to come by, even for Texans. The amount of use a smoker would get in our backyard just doesn’t justify the cost or amount of space it would take up. So the charcoal grill will do just fine. And that’s how we made these delicious baby back ribs.
I say ‘we’ because I am not the resident griller in the Table household. That job is for Mr. Table. He enjoys drinking a cold beer, manning the fire and cooking meat all day. And he’s good at it. So in this case, I’m just here to prep the food and explain what’s happening.
Do You Flip Ribs On Charcoal Grill
The most effective method of grilling uncooked ribs Maintaining a low heat and cooking the ribs slowly is the key to success. It is better to use indirect heat at a temperature between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. A rack of back ribs will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours to cook , and you should turn them every 20 minutes or so during the cooking process.
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Cooking Spare Ribs On The Grill
BBQing spare rib is an experience that most people only wish they had. So if youre looking to master this art of BBQing up your next delicious meal then keep reading because we have just the recipe for yam!
Dont let all those grisly pictures fool yourself cooking them can be easy as pie when done right and with our tips below, want to learn how to BBQ ribs on the grill? You wont ever have to despair over grilling spareribs with this recipe. I can show you in just a few minutes, and theyll be tender enough that even my spouse who doesnt like when we eat BBQ will say it tastes really good. What do you need: 4 pounds of pork bones/spareribs 2 teaspoons spicy hot pepper sauce?
2 tablespoons apricot or marmalade jam ¾ cup favorite barbecue sauce
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Choose The Right Grilling Method To Make Ribs Tender
Slow cooking at medium-low heat is the key to delicious ribs on the grill. It lets the collagen in tough meat progressively degrade and melt throughout the long cooking period.
Whenever your ribs are too tough, merely cook them for a longer period, as soon as youve reached the correct grilling temperature.
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Does Cooking Ribs Longer Make Them More Tender
According to US Department of Agriculture, Ribs are done when their internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature at which collagen and fat begin to melt. However, once the rib reaches 203 degrees, there is no longer any need to cook it. Collagen and fatty acids melt and become more digestible at these temperatures. This is why we say that the best way to get a rib to 160 degrees is to let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking it again. Otherwise, you will have a tough bone.
Video #: Smoking Ribs With A Charcoal Basket And Rib Rack
Instead of just dumping the charcoal on one side of the grill he is using a charcoal basket to keep the charcoal neatly organized. A charcoal basket does not hold enough charcoal to last the entire cook so you will need to add more fuel every couple of hours.
He is also using a rib rack in the video which allows him to cook three slabs of ribs at once. You can cook up to four slabs at once with the rib rack he is using.
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How Long To Cook Ribs On The Grill
Ive found that the sweet spot for cooking ribs on the grill is about one hour. Yes, many barbecue restaurants will cook for hours and hours. This is more of a slow-cooking method and theyve got pitmasters to watch those grills like a hawk for hours at a time.
I personally dont have time for that. So if you want to cook pork ribs on the grill at home, I recommend grilling them for 45 minutes with just the dry rub, then dousing them with bbq sauce, flipping them over, and grilling for an additional 15 minutes.
If youre cooking grilled beef ribs, you may need a little more time simply because beef ribs are typically bigger than pork ribs. Adjust your initial cooking time by adding about 15 minutes. If the ribs have an internal temperature of between 200 and 203 degrees F, theyre done and you can move onto the saucing step!
How To Cook Ribs On A Charcoal Grill
Smoke the perfect barbecue pork ribs on your charcoal grill with our step-by-step recipe and guide. Cooked over indirect heat and applewood, this smoked rack of spare ribs will rival anything youve had before.
Any good BBQ chef knows his way around a good rack of ribs, but some fall short by thinking they dont have the right equipment. While ribs are traditionally cooked in a smoker or Kamado grill, they can actually easily be made on a charcoal grill as well.
Charcoal grills are often underrated for their flexibility, and unlike their gas brothers, they can actually be turned into brilliant smokers without compromising on that classic smoky BBQ taste.
Todays guide will walk through the steps on how to cook ribs on a charcoal grill.
Need a recipe? Check out our Texas Style Baby Back Ribs
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How To Prepare The Grill
Our main aim here is to turn our grill into a smoker. This actually takes a bit of skill because we need to keep a good, constant heat of about 250F/120 C. Not only will this require the use of a good meat thermometer, but also a little knowledge of indirect cooking.
If youre unfamiliar with indirect cooking, its a method that places charcoal lumpwood under one half of your grill grate, leaving the other side clear. You then put your meat on this clear side, allowing the heat inside the grill to cook it rather than the direct heat from the flames.
For a full guide check out my guide to indirect grilling.
With this approach, were going to be a bit creative and call on the help of a disposable aluminum pan. Were going to fill it with water and use it to add moisture to our grilling environment, in turn helping to regulate the temperature. More on this in a moment.
Make sure your BBQs grates and drum are both thoroughly clean before cooking. There are a lot of benefits to having a spotless BBQ, so if your grill is dirty then Id put aside half an hour to really clean it.
Once clean, remove the cooking grate and light the charcoal. There are a few methods to this, so if youre not sure how to do this then take a look at my guide on how to light a charcoal grill.
Youll need enough charcoal to cover half the grate area, and also enough to create 2-3 layers of charcoal.
Selecting Beef Ribs For The Charcoal Grill
Pork ribs get most of the press, but smoked beef back ribs are an excellent choice for the smoker. Since the meat requires this type of long, slow cooking in order to achieve that fall-off-the-bone tenderness, its a perfect match. The cooking process itself should take at least four hours any less, and your ribs may come out too tough and chewy.
To cook beef ribs on a charcoal grill, youll want to start with some high-quality beef back ribs. The back ribs come from the rib roast , so the meat is naturally more tender than the tougher, fattier short ribs, which are located on the lower portion of the animal. Remember that short ribs might also be labeled as braising ribs, crosscut ribs, flanken ribs, English short ribs, or Korean short ribs. If youre unsure as to whether the cut youve picked out will be suitable for the grill, ask your butcher.
Pro Tip: Always strive to maintain cordial relationships with the people who work in your local meat department. A knowledgeable butcher is an invaluable asset to the home griller.
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Six Unwrapping And Saucing The Ribs
The ribs have now been on the grill for at least 3 hours. Technically speaking, they are cooked through, but they are not yet barbecue.
Remove the ribs from the foil and place them back on the grill, rotating them again as you do so. Again, check to make sure that the fire is still active and that there is water in the water pan. If the grill needs additional fuel, add it now. It isnt essential to add more smoking wood, but the temperature needs to remain strong to finish the ribs.
Once unwrapped, the ribs should appear wet. They should bend easily, but not fold. If the bones are loose or the rack folds in the center, it is time to take them off the grill. Otherwise, continued cooking. You can test the temperature of the ribs with a good meat thermometer. Unfortunately, this can be a challenge. Fully cooked ribs will reach an internal temperature of 185 to 190 degrees F . The bone will be a different temperature from the meat and to get an accurate reading you will need to check the meat without getting too close to the bone. Test in several locations.
If the grill temperature is consistent, the ribs should need another 30 minutes to an hour to reach perfection. Close the lid and continue cooking until they reach the right internal temperature.
Once the ribs reach the right level of doneness, remove from the grill. If you want to add barbecue sauce, read on.
Once the saucing is complete, remove the ribs from the grill and place them on a large cutting board.
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!
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How To Make Ribs Without Bbq Sauce
If youre not a fan of BBQ sauce, or you are watching your sugar intake, the recipe Im sharing here uses no BBQ sauce. The key is to make an amazing rub for the ribs that complements the pork. Ill share mine below I love it, and its been given high praise by those who have tried it. Its both sweet and savory, and with the mop sauce these pork ribs are delicious.
How Do You Have Dry Rub Ribs On A Charcoal Grill
You can follow the above recipe without using any BBQ sauce. However, theres one small change. Initially, when placing the ribs to cook, put them on Direct Heat for about 5 minutes , turn it once and repeat for another side. Then, turn again and place onto indirect heat. Finish them out for about another 45-65 minutes, grill covered, no more turning, maintaining temp about 350-375 degrees F.
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How To Charcoal Grill Ribs
Now that our grill is ready, its time to get this rib cook-off going! Place the racks on the grate of the grill, ensuring that theyre placed on the half of the grate without charcoal underneath it, next to the water pan. Place them with the rib side of the rack facing down.
Aim to cook for 3-4 hours for baby back ribs, or 4-5 hours for spare ribs.
After one hour check on the ribs, making sure that the charcoals are burning nicely and keeping the grill hot. Also check that theres enough water in the pan to maintain a healthy supply of steam.
Add a few more wood chunks to the coals and turn the ribs over to help give you a more even cook.
Check out our guide to smoking ribs on a gas grill
How To Cook Baby Back Ribs: Memphis Style
There are several ways to cook baby back ribs the best way is totally subjective and completely up to you. Baby back ribs can be smoked low and slow like these smoked spare ribs. They can be baked or broiled if you prefer to cook ribs in the oven. They can even be brined like these apple cinnamon brined ribs. This blog, however, is about grilling baby back ribs, and theyll be done in 90 minutes.
Today were grilling baby back ribs hot and fast directly over charcoal, no wood, just like they do at the world-famous Rendezvous BBQ joint in Memphis, Tennessee. Theyve been using this technique since the late 1940s at this iconic restaurant, and the key to this style of cooking is keeping the ribs high enough above the coals so that they dont burn.
Thats a challenge for most grills on the market today just given their design, and may be why the technique isnt as popular as the low and slow technique. Im going to be using the Shokunin Kamado, which uses an adjustable fire grate system, allowing me to cook the ribs high above the coals. This style of cooking can also be done on a drum style smoker if you have one, or even a Weber Smokey Mountain.
First, lets answer a few questions that seem to be asked quite a bit when it comes to cooking ribs. Then Ill cover a few tips for cooking baby back ribs on the grill. Finally, Ill share my recipe for Memphis baby back ribs, cooked Rendezvous style.
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How To Grill Ribs Fast And Still Make Them Taste Good
Because they contain a lot of bone and connective tissue, pork ribs benefit from low-and-slow cooking applications. But what if you dont have that kind of time?
Whether youve waited too long to defrost the ribs or you just decided to pull them off the supermarket shelf, heres how to grill ribs fast so that you can have dinner ready on schedule.
Contents
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Should You Boil Ribs Before Grilling
Ribs should be cooked gently in order to get the best possible tenderness. In order to help tenderize the meat, it is common practice to boil or steam ribs before to grilling them. Cover the ribs with salted water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, covered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 50 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost soft.
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