Barbecue Pork Ribs

There are so many ways to cook pork ribs. I've seen recipes that have them boiled, grilled, cooked in the crock pot and baked in the oven. Slow-barbecued ribs, lovingly tended for hours on end and glazed with sauce, are absolutely without par. Flavorful, juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender, with a soft and moist inside and a light crispiness out the outside. It's divine. Any other style of rib-cooking pales in comparison. True, it's a lot more work than just throwing them in the oven. But, oh, the results....my mouth waters to think about it.

Ingredients:
1 rack of pork ribs. They're usually sold in vacuum-sealed bags, and are easy to find.
2 tblsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tblsp. chili powder
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. paprika

For the mop:
1 bottle or can of beer. Nothing extra stout, just plain old beer
1 tblsp. salt
1 tblsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

When you first take your ribs out of the bag, you need to do a little prep work. On the back side of the ribs, where the bone is very prominent, there is a thin membrane on the surface of the meat. You need to peel that off. By removing this, it insures maximum smoke penetration and tenderness. It should be easy to peel off with only your fingers. It doesn't have to be perfect, just try to get off as much as you can.

Pork ribs are often sold with a piece the brisket attached. This is a long, fleshy and bony section attached to the top of the ribs and often runs the whole length. Don't know for sure if you have it? Look at edges of the ribs. You should be able to see the round ends of each individual rib bone, on both top and bottom. If you can only see the ends on one side, there's a brisket attached. You can also tell by feel. Squeeze the top of the ribs. If you can feel a bone running horizontally, at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the ribs, that's the brisket.

You need to cut this section off. Feel for that large horizontal bone in the brisket, and slide a knife between this bone and the rest of the ribs. By following the joints, it should cut off easily. You should end up with a long, thin piece of bone and meat. Don't throw this out! Put it on the smoker along with the ribs. It's just as good to eat.

Once your ribs are prepped, mix all the spices together in a bowl. Rub this all over the ribs (and the brisket, if you have one). Be sure to get both sides. Let the ribs sit in the rub for at least 2 hours, or even overnight.

One hour before cooking, bring out your ribs. Let them sit on the counter to come up to room temperature. In the meantime, start your smoker or barbecue pit so it has time to come up to a steady temperature. You want the temperature of your rack surface to be at 275 to 300 degrees. I like to use hickory or pecan wood for ribs. For detailed instructions and pictures on how to use a smoker, check out my December 2009 entry on Chipotle Chicken.

Put the ribs and brisket on the smoker rack, with the thick fatty side uppermost. Close the lid and let the smoke do its magic. Mix all the mop ingredients together in a bowl. Every hour, you want to liberally soak the ribs with the mop liquid. Let the ribs smoke for about 4 hours, give or take. You know the ribs are ready when both ends of the bones are protruding from the meat, and the meat easily pulls from the bone. You can also test for doneness with a meat thermometer. Your meat should have a nice pink tint from the smoke.

Next, it's time to sauce! You can use store-bought sauce or make your own. I don't think it's possible to have too much sauce on ribs. To do this, you need to grill the ribs over relatively hight heat. The best way to do this is on a gas grill, if you have one. If you don't have one, just build up the fire in your barbecue pit and put a grate over it.

Put your ribs on the grill, and liberally slather it with barbecue sauce. Flip it over, and do the same to the other side. Wait about 30 seconds to a minute, flip and do it again. Your goal isn't to cook the ribs; they're already done. You want to bake the sauce on the ribs. Just baked on, not burnt. A few grill marks are all right, but crusty burning is not. Keep flipping and slathering the sauce. I like to put at least 3-4 layers on each side.

When your ribs are nice and coated, remove them from the heat. You can't imagine how good they will smell. Let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving, if possible. I say "if possible", because everyone will hover around them and pull off pieces whenever they get a chance. And if you did it right, the meat should peel right off the bone with no effort. To cut the ribs apart, do NOT use a serrated knife. When the meat it this tender, a serrated knife will only saw it apart into shreds. The best way to cut ribs is to lay it flat on a cutting board, then cut straight down between each rib with a clever or large chef's knife. Serve while still warm.