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Our grocery store has ribs on sale this week. I'm not a huge rib eater, but am bored and want to try something different.

I am not a sweet BBQ kind of guy. I prefer sauces/rubs with a bit of a kick to them. I do like BW3's honey BBQ sauce, so that's an option.

Does anyone have ideas on how to prepare these?

i usually put on some dry rub (famous dave's is my favorite) and cook them in the oven for a while. after getting them most of the way cooked, i then cover them with BBQ sauce (famous dave's as well... if you like a little bit of a kick, go with the devil's spit) and toss them on the grill to finish them off.

they come out very juicy and tender.

1987 Alum has a pretty neat recipe for Teryaki Ribs which will be finding its way to a plate near me in thenot too distant future.

If you don't feel like messing with your own sauces, try the Sticky Fingers Tennessee Whisky sauce, most grocery stores carry them now. Always cook with indirect heat. I usually buy a couple of cedar planks at meijer and set the planks right on my gas grill, then set the ribs on the planks on the lowest heat setting and cook for around 4-5 hours. Don't put your sauce on until the ribs are almost done or the sugar will burn.

Zom wrote:1987 Alum has a pretty neat recipe for Teryaki Ribs which will be finding its way to a plate near me in thenot too distant future.

Zom: Thanks for the plug

Just made them a two weeks ago and added pickled cucumbers as a side dish. Yummy!

As a BBQ purist ribs should only be cooked one way: slow smoked.

Rub the ribs with your favorite dry rub. I like a standard Paprika/Salt/Brown sugar combo. I usually up the cayenne a little for some extra spice, but any standard rub will do.

Get yourself a charcoal grill or smoker. Throw a bunch of unlit charcoal in their (if using a grill put the coals to one side, the meat will go on the other). Then add about 15-20 lit coals to the top of the unlit (This is called the Minion Method), and then add soaked wood chips. I personally prefer a mixture of apple & hickory.

Put your ribs on and allow the temp to rise. Your target temp is 225*-250* When the temperature starts to get near that range start closing your vents to regulate. You're going to need to hold that temp for hours, and it's much easier to go up than down.

I don't know if you're talking loin backs or spare ribs, but this method will work with either cut of rib. The only difference is the cook time. For Spare ribs you'll want to cook them 3 hours as is, wrap in foil for 2 hours, then 1 additional hour unwrapped (start to put the sauce on with about 30 mins to go). With loin backs (or baby backs) you would want to cut that time down to 2 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped, and 1 additional hour unwrapped; again add sauce w/ 30 mins to go. This is called the 3-2-1 (or 2-2-1) method. Very important not to add your sauce too early. You want it to start to glaze, but you don't want it to burn, which is what can happen with most BBQ sauces that have a good deal of sugar in them.

For sauces, I prefer a SC style mustard sauce that has mustard, vinegar, honey, and hot sauce in it. Ratios are to your own personal taste.


Of course every cut of meat is slightly different so the 3-2-1 & 2-2-1 methods are just guidelines. You basically want the ribs to be done cooking when you pull the foil, so if they're not done, leave them foiled until they're done. Your ribs are done when holding the rack with tongs and it hangs straight down. The meat should be pulled off the bone a 1/4-1/2" or so, as well. You don't want them to get to the point where they're "falling off the bone" that is overdone for ribs. They should come off the bones cleanly, but require a tug from your teeth


There ya go, easy instructions to perfect ribs. Anyone who mentions an oven, crockpot, or otherwise is cheating (sorry guys). Ribs absolutely must be cooked slow over smoke for optimum results.

hammb wrote:Anyone who mentions an oven, crockpot, or otherwise is cheating (sorry guys). Ribs absolutely must be cooked slow over smoke for optimum results.

Um, cheating? A little harsh, don't you think?

I agree that smoking is the absolute best way. That being said, I don't have a smoker, nor do I have the time to monitor the temperature in a smoker if I had one; one of the costs of being a family man!

So until the kids are out of the house, I'll have to use my oven shortcut.

1987alum wrote:

hammb wrote:Anyone who mentions an oven, crockpot, or otherwise is cheating (sorry guys). Ribs absolutely must be cooked slow over smoke for optimum results.

Um, cheating? A little harsh, don't you think?

I agree that smoking is the absolute best way. That being said, I don't have a smoker, nor do I have the time to monitor the temperature in a smoker if I had one; one of the costs of being a family man!

So until the kids are out of the house, I'll have to use my oven shortcut.

Cheating, shortcut, same thing


I personally love my charcoal smoker/grill, but there are actually electric/gas smokers that will also give you excellent results. They have temperature settings that will regulate the temp unmonitored, just like an oven/crockpot. The difference is they have places to put wood chips to add the smoke, which is THE key ingredient in ribs, IMO.

I can definitely understand not having the time/patience to monitor a charcoal/hardwood fire. I make time to do it, but I don't have kids running around with various activities either.

If you ever have a chance to get a hold of a smoker for a good deal, give it a whirl, I think you'll love the results, and some of these smokers are every bit as "set it & forget it" as your oven

My mom made them on the stove with Open Pit. I've been searching the world since to find some as good. Hammb, I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying that I've got you penclled in for the evening of April 29th, 2011. You make the ribs and beer, I'll ...ummm, eat and drink.

hammb wrote:If you ever have a chance to get a hold of a smoker...I think you'll love the results, and some of these smokers are every bit as

On second thoughts, no, I won't pick up where we left off in the last thread about smokers. Suffice it to say, hammb, I don't doubt you for a moment. I bet the ribs are pretty good, too.