Baby Back Ribs......

[TN94z]

So I have never tried to do my own ribs and I think this weekend will be my first attempt. Anyone that has any ideas, recipes, sides, etc....throw them in here! I can't wait.....

[jamo]

Some quotes from me from a few months ago:

With propane if you need to smoke just soak some wood chips (available at some food stores in the summer and at Lowes/Home Depot all year long) in water, then roll up a few handfuls in some heavy duty tin foil. Place the foil directly under the grates and you are good to go. Replace the chips every hour or so or when the smoke stops.

I've found the best way to get brisket (and ribs and pork butt) perfectly smoky and juicy is to smoke normally (after applying a dry rub and mopping ever 30 minutes during smoking) until it is sufficiently smoky, then put a mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and jarred salsa on the meat and put it all in some foil. Smoke that (or just grill it on low, at that point the smoke can't permeate the foil so it's pointless) for another few hours and when you take it off let it rest in the foil for 15-20 minutes. You get smoky and juicy and unmatched tenderness. Try it next time, you won't go back.

[zeg]

I'm by no means an expert at BBQing, though I generally turn out pretty passable results. I'll second what jamo said about wrapping in foil and slowly cooking after the initial smoking is done. I think you can even get away with wrapping it up and throwing it in a 200-250° oven instead of over the grill at that point. If you've got propane, then there's no reason, but with my charcoal grill, it's a lot easier to use the oven than to try to maintain a low fire for a long time. Again, like jamo says, there's no sense wasting smoke on it any more since you've already sealed it off.

My other recommendation is to read a whole bunch of recipes and then put them away and improvise. There are a few common spices that it seems almost everyone uses, but otherwise I don't think any two recipes agree. You really can't go wrong, I mean, it's meat and spices, it's going to be awesome no matter what.

Oh, and one other thing, it's not hard to make your own BBQ sauce, and I like this a lot better than most of the store-bought stuff. For this I'd start with a recipe (though following it to the letter and measuring precisely is kind of against the spirit) and then figure out what you like/don't like. It doesn't take long, and you can make it up while you're smoking the ribs. Personally, I like spicy and not-too-sweet sauces, and that's a bit hard to find out of a jar.

[TheGeekGolfer]

I made these 2 weeks ago and they were the best I've ever had. The key is slow cooking them and then finishing on a hot grill.

Make a rub out of garlic powder, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin and onion powder. The mixture is 1 Tablespoon of each and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. If you like it spicier, up the cayenne, if you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar. Save any excess rub for later.

Rub the ribs (liberally, but not too heavy) and let sit for in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Roast them slowly in a pan covered with foil on the BBQ (indirect heat, low about 300*) with soaked wood chips or in your oven (300*) in a pan with some 'liquid smoke' / water added to keep them moist. Cook for about 2.5 hours.

Take them out and let them rest. You can even let them cool completely and do this the day before.

Now make your sauce (please...make your own sauce, waaayyy better than bottled sauce - although if you must use bottled, get Sweet Baby Ray's, it's the best bottled sauce out there).

Here's a sauce recipe, experiment and adapt it...

Take 1/2 cup of the drippings from your ribs and put it in a saucepan over med-low heat. Add in 1 Cup of ketchup, 2 shots Jack Daniels Whiskey, 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 1/4 cup dark molasses, and 1/4 cup of your rub mixture from earlier. Bring this to a boil and reduce and simmer for at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour to thicken it.

Grill your ribs over high heat on the BBQ (400*) and brush often with sauce while turning to avoid burning till heated through and the BBQ sauce is caramelized (about 1/2 hour).

[lumpuckeroo]

I'm by no means an expert at BBQing, though I generally turn out pretty passable results. I'll second what jamo said about wrapping in foil and slowly cooking after the initial smoking is done. I think you can even get away with wrapping it up and throwing it in a 200-250° oven instead of over the grill at that point. If you've got propane, then there's no reason, but with my charcoal grill, it's a lot easier to use the oven than to try to maintain a low fire for a long time. Again, like jamo says, there's no sense wasting smoke on it any more since you've already sealed it off.

I do the same thing, I call it 'cheat smokin', I'm just not willing anymore to spend 12 hours over a hot smoker. What I have found that works good for either ribs or brisket, I simply use a dry rub that I put on the meat the night before and let it set in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, I start my smoker up, put the meat on for 4 hours, after that I pull it off, wrap it in aluminum foil and put in the oven. For a slab of ribs 2 to 4 more hours at 200 to 250 depending on when I want eat, for brisket I will go 8 hours at 225.

[TN94z]

Okay, so I guess I had it backwards (I mean it's pretty hard to mess up pork) but I was thinking put them in the oven and cook low temp for a couple hours then take them out and throw them on the grill to get the smoked BBQ flavor. Thanks for the recipes guys. I can't wait to give these a shot.


I am thinking of grilling some corn too....any suggestions on that?

[double_j]

Google the "Good Eats" rib recipe. It's similar to what's been mentioned above and very good. Slow cook the ribs in the oven, finish over a high grill to crisp up and glaze on a sauce (a reduction of the cooking juices). I've made them and they're great. A little wood smoke would be nice but these are good enough that you won't miss it too much (nor will you miss having to mess with wood chips, etc.)

Overall, Alton Brown's recipes are fairly reliable.

For corn, I peel away as much of the silk as I can manage (but keep the outer husk on). Throw the corn on the hottest fire you can find (even in the coals is acceptable) for maybe 5 or 10 minutes. Don't worry that the husks will burn and char, or that some of the inner corn will brown a bit, etc. - that's actually part of the charm. The corn will come out steamed in their own husks with a nice smokiness and flavor.

[TN94z]

Google the "Good Eats" rib recipe. It's similar to what's been mentioned above and very good. Slow cook the ribs in the oven, finish over a high grill to crisp up and glaze on a sauce (a reduction of the cooking juices). I've made them and they're great. A little wood smoke would be nice but these are good enough that you won't miss it too much (nor will you miss having to mess with wood chips, etc.)

Okay, that's kind of the way I had in mind. I can add some hickory chips to it and help a little, but it won't be a smoker by any means. I'll do that. Thanks

[jamo]

I am thinking of grilling some corn too....any suggestions on that?

I just put it on an oiled grill and let it cook until the color of the kernels is nearing black. It's kind of hard to explain but pretty hard to mess up. You'll know it's done when you see it. You can add balsamic vinegar if you really want to, but if you have really good quality corn you don't need. If the corn is good enough you wont need butter or salt either.

[uttexas]

With the corn--agree, peel back the husks and remove the inner silk, then put the husks back where they were. Then soak the corn with husks on in water for 10 minutes. Peel back the husks again and apply butter, salt, pepper and replace the husks. Put on grill 20 minutes (10 minutes each side) Some people like their corn really cooked=15 minutes a side for a total of 30 min. By soaking the corn with the husks on, you'll have fewer burned husks. The burned husks can give the corn a burned flavor that some don't like.

[jamo]

With the corn--agree, peel back the husks and remove the inner silk, then put the husks back where they were. Then soak the corn with husks on in water for 10 minutes. Peel back the husks again and apply butter, salt, pepper and replace the husks. Put on grill 20 minutes (10 minutes each side) Some people like their corn really cooked=15 minutes a side for a total of 30 min. By soaking the corn with the husks on, you'll have fewer burned husks. The burned husks can give the corn a burned flavor that some don't like.

I never thought of putting the huskes back on. I just peel then and throw them on plain. Your way sounds really good, maybe I'll try that next time. However, I am a big fan if the burnt kernels.

[uttexas]

Most of my family prefers the husks on cooking method--results in a moister corn--the corn is essentially baked and steamed

My mom and my wife's mom both like really crispy, some burned cooked kernels without the husks on--results in a smokier, but drier corn---the corn is essentially barbequed.

[TN94z]

I was going to either leave the husks on or wrap in aluminum foil. I think both ways are about the same

[jamo]

I was going to either leave the husks on or wrap in aluminum foil. I think both ways are about the same

If you are going to wrap them in anything, use the husks. You will get more smoky and corny flavor as the husks cook.

[uttexas]

Are you guys watching "American Barbecue Pitmasters" on TLC Thursday nights 10pm EST http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBQ_Pitmasters . I've watched every episode (they are currently on their second season). Last night was Pork Ribs. Johnny Trigg "The Godfather of BBQ Ribs" won with a perfect score. I love watching this show, seeing how serious and competitive BBQ can be.

[TN94z]

Well, the ribs turned out pretty good for my first time. I could taste the cayenne a little too much from the rub, so I will have to adjust that the next time. I still liked them because I like heat, but it needs to be backed down a bit. I ended up using Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce instead of making my own....man that is some good stuff!!

I ended up putting the corn in aluminum foil because my boxers snatched up my husks while I was cleaning it. But the corn came out great! It was a little crunchy and very juicy. That was the first time I had grilled corn and it really brings out the sweetness of the corn.

Thanks guys.

[double_j]

Well, the ribs turned out pretty good for my first time. I could taste the cayenne a little too much from the rub, so I will have to adjust that the next time. I still liked them because I like heat, but it needs to be backed down a bit. I ended up using Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce instead of making my own....man that is some good stuff!!

Sweet Baby Rays is the ultimate cheat. It's the best mass market sauce out there. The honey chipotle version is ridiculous but the original is darned good, too.

Here's a stupidly simple recipe that you might want to try now that football season is here. I wouldn't call it a perfect substitute for true pulled pork, but its so good nobody is going to care: Get one pork butt (really the shoulder), about 4 pounds is easy enough to manage One or two bottles of BBQ sauce One bottle of beer (a lager will work fine) Season the butt with salt & pepper all over. Place into a dutch oven, enameled pot, or any other oven-safe vessel that can hold it with some room to spare. Dump between 1 and 2 bottles of the barbeque sauce over the top of the meat, depending on how much sauce you want at the end. Add half a bottle of beer to the pot. Cover tightly and place in a 225 degree oven for at least 3.5 hours (4 to 4.5 is ideal). Remove the cover from the pot and let cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. Cooking times are pretty inexact in low heat situations like this. The meat can probably go up to 6 hours with little harm - longer is better than shorter. When done (you'll know because the meat will be falling apart tender and any bones will be easy to pull out), let cool a bit and place the meat on a chopping board or platter. Shred/cut the pork into bits with forks or your fingers. You can remove some of the fat while you're at it if it suits your fancy, but I never do. Mix some of the extra cooking liquid into the meat just to help it stay moist. Serve on a roll with some of the cooking liquid over the top. I like to pile cole slaw, pickles, and some raw onion on mine as well. Potato salad or mac and cheese would be the side dishes of choice. Leftover meat freezes really well in the sauce. I'll also mix this with pasta for the most amazing BBQ porkaroni you'll ever have (BBQ pork nachos ain't bad, either).

[TN94z]

Sweet Baby Rays is the ultimate cheat. It's the best mass market sauce out there. The honey chipotle version is ridiculous but the original is darned good, too.

I actually saw a similar recipe on one of my fitness boards....I may try that this weekend! It sounds great as I love BBQ