How to make great BBQ ribs. Easy tips and tricks for great ribs.
The following tips and techniques are things I have learned in the past from trial and error as well as reading alot of great cookbooks and watching alot of chefs on TV. This is not new information but i hope I can summaraize alot of the major tips to making your next batch of ribs simply sensational.
It’s not hard to make great BBQ, and I hope to help you understand the how’s and why’s of BBQ, so your next batch of BBQ ribs will be unbeatable.
5 Tips for great BBQ ribs
1. No boiling of your ribs! Although it works I find the ribs much blander and more one dimensional when cooked this way. What you really want to do is sort of roast the meat. BBQ is a low heat method of roasting, and by dry roasting will concentrate the great flavors of the meat.
2. Low and slow! The secret to tender BBQ ribs is a long cooking time over a low temperature. You want to keep the heat between 250 and 300. Lower than 250 and you risk drying the meat, and higher than 300 is getting too hot for tenderizing cooking.
3. Take off the silver skin. The silver skin is a membrane that is attached to the underside of the bones. You can’t chew it and marinades, rubs and sauces can’t penetrate it. It’s got to go. Take a knife to slice it then grab it with your fingers and peel the rest. Season the ribs the night before you plan on cooking them. Rub whatever spice rub you’re using on the meat the night before, to give it enough time to penetrate and flavor the meat. One of my favorite rubs as I have mentioned earlier can be found here.
4. Cook them over indirect smoky heat. I don’t have anything very fancy so I just put some wood chips in a homemade tin foil pouch adding 2 parts dry and 1 part wet to start the smoking process and then sealing the pouch and placing it directly on the fire. The real key is indirect heat at the right tempreature. There are often times when I don’t have smoke – they are just not quite as flavorful but don’t get me wrong – they are still yummy!
5. Don’t sauce until the ribs are done. When they are done, heat the grill up to medium and grill the sauced ribs for a few minutes. If you do it any earlier the sugar from the sauce is just going to cause the ribs to burn – and we don’t do that!
Follow these steps and let me know if you have better tasting ribs or if you have other ideas that I may have missed – i would love to know about them. Send me email or add a comment. Or send me some ribs in the mail.
Related posts:
- Barbecue Preparation Tips
- Grilled Barbecue Pork Loin Sandwich with Slaw
- Beef, Beet Greens and Barbecue
- Top 5 Tips for Grilling Fish
- 8 Time Saving Kitchen Tips
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Whether it is about recipes, food techniques, food tips, or meal suggestions in a rush - this is your one stop food shop. When I was sitting at home - I always wanted to write a blog and help people in everyday life come up with innovative and different approaches to food. So here it is - released for all to see - I hope you enjoy!
I agree with you completely!
Great tips! I love smoking ribs on my gas grill with a packet of wood chips. People can’t believe how great they taste. One day I will get a smoker though.
Thanks Maggie – appreciate it. Yeah I think should get a smoker too… maybe next year.
You’ve got some great ideas here! A similar one to maggies is to throw a tin of smoking chips (I like mesquite) on a hooded gas grill and give it 20-30 minutes. It really does increase the smokiness, and is so delicious!
Hey Tom,
Thanks for the comment. I do agree – It is all in the smoking. I am a fan of mesquite but i think my favorite is apple wood with pork. What are your thoughts on that?
I am off to check your blog out now.
Be careful if you decide to get a smoker, once you get started you might have to drop your full time job for a part time one. It can become an obsession. Another method that works well in a smoker or on a grill is the 3-2-1 method. 3 hours smoking with your favorite rub (no sauce!),2 hours loosely double-wrapped in heavy foil pouch with a little apple juice in it, and 1 hour out of the foil back in the smoker or grill all done at about 225 to 250 deg. Sauce the last half our or so if you want. Fall off the bone perfect ribs.