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First-Timers Ribs: The Foolproof Recipe That Gives You Competition-Quality Bones Every Time

First-Timers Ribs: The Foolproof Recipe That Gives You Competition-Quality Bones Every Time

There are certain dishes every grill master should know how to cook without thinking—a perfect steak, a beer-can chicken, a fish dish you can actually lift off the grill grate in one piece. But the most essential thing of all is knowing how to cook ribs. Ribs are the barbecue—iconic and elemental—and if there’s only one dish you master, it should be ribs.

So what makes a perfect rib? It should be handsome and dark, like polished mahogany, with a crusty flavorful surface known as the bark.. The ribs themselves should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, but not so soft the meat falls off the bone. (It should have some chew to it—that’s why you have teeth.) The meat should be fragrant with spice and smoke but not overpowered by either. Yes, you want to feel the heat of pepper and mustard and enjoy the soothing sweetness of brown sugar and molasses, but at the end of the day, the rib should taste like pork.

Baby Back Ribs

Well, if this is your idea of the perfect rib (and it should be), here’s your master recipe (below). 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, it’s 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.

Here are some tips and tricks for the perfect ribs.

How to cook ribs for beginners

  • Trim the Ribs: Baby backs often come pre-trimmed. If you see any large lumps of fat, sinews, or loose pieces of bone. Remove them with a sharp paring knife. Unless you purchase St. Louis-style spareribs, they will benefit from trimming. Remove the rib tips, then remove the shortest bones (the ones in a triangular array at one end of the rack). Finally, remove the tough flap of meat from the bone side.
  • Remove the Membrane: Unless it’s already been removed by the vendor, most racks of ribs come with a tough, papery membrane on the bone side of the rack. It is inedible and impedes the absorption of spice and smoke flavors. Many grill masters have their own tricks for removing this membrane. We use a butter knife or a screwdriver to loosen the membrane. (Start over one of the middle bones and prise the membrane up with your preferred tool.) Grab the membrane with a paper towel and pull the membrane off. You might need a couple of tries. Note: There is a second, thinner membrane under the first. Do not remove it as it connects the ribs in the rack.
  • Season the Ribs with a Rub, Slather, or Marinade: Seasoning can be as simple as salt and pepper—they let the meat shine through. But most pit masters opt for the more complex flavors of a rub—a commercial rub or a proprietary rub—which typically contains spices, salt, herbs, and sometimes, a sweetener. Often, a simple slather (a “moisturizer,” if you will) is applied to the ribs—mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, etc. Some pit masters dust the finished ribs lightly with more rub.

    Ribs With Rub

  • Mop the Ribs: Direct and indirect grilling and smoking are inherently dry cooking methods. In addition to or in lieu of a slather (see above), you can mop the ribs with a mop sauce free of sugar or sweeteners. Start applying them after the first 45 minutes of cooking. Use a barbecue mop or basting brush. Or, pour the mop sauce into a food-safe spray bottle and mist it on the ribs. (You can even shake a bottle of beer or soda pop, place your thumb over the mouth of the bottle, leaving it partially uncovered, and point it toward the ribs.)

    Ribs with BBQ sauce

  • Wrap the Ribs (or Not): If it appears the ribs are beginning to dry out before they’re tender, there’s an easy solution. Called “the Texas Crutch,” you can wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil. (Add a few spoonfuls of a flavorful liquid if you want to create a very moist environment.) Wrapping seals in moisture; the steam captured will help tenderize the ribs. Be careful when you unwrap the ribs as the escaping steam can burn you.
  • Sauce the Ribs (or Not): Purists will argue that a great rib doesn’t need sauce. Nonetheless, most people expect at least a light coating of barbecue sauce. Steven’s M.O. is to grill the ribs indirectly until they reach the desired tenderness, then bastes them with the sauce. Finally, he moves the ribs directly over the fire to sizzle the sauce into the ribs. This will take only a few minutes, so watch carefully. Serve additional sauce on the side, if desired.

    St. Louis Ribs with River City Barbecue Sauce - How to cook ribs for beginners

  • Learn to Recognize When the Ribs are Cooked: Look for an exterior that’s darkly browned and crusty; meat that has shrunk back about 1/2 inch from the ends of the bones; meat that’s tender enough to tear apart with your fingers. You can also lift the ribs off the grill positioning tongs in the middle of the rack. The meat will begin to shred between the center bones.
  • Cut the Ribs Apart: Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes. Turn them over (meat side down), and using a sharp knife, cut between the bones. (For the most appealing turn-in boxes, competition cooks select the best bones, then maximize the meat by slicing close to the bones on either side of the chosen ones. This sacrifices several bones, of course. Although they’re still great to gnaw on—cook’s privilege!)
  • Smoking the Ribs: This recipe below calls for indirect grilling with wood smoke rather than using a smoker. The reason is twofold. First of all, a lot more people have grills than smokers. Second, when cooking baby back ribs, I prefer the higher heat of indirect grilling (350°F) over smoking’s lower temperature (250°F); the more intense heat melts out the fat, crisping the meat and giving the ribs a more interesting texture. Of course, there are legions of old school pit masters who will disagree with me (their mantra is “low and slow”). If you happen to be one of them, these ribs can be cooked in a smoker following the instructions included in recipe.

    Camp Chef pellet grill with ribs

First-Timer’s Ribs

First Timer's Ribs

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For even more recipes check out Steven’s book: Best Ribs Ever!

Grilling Perfect Pork Ribs

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