Although we enjoy great burger recipes, seared steaks, and even weeknight chicken cookouts, we believe ribs are the ultimate grilled meal. They’re sloppy, decadent, and delicious, transforming an ordinary summer afternoon into a festive occasion.
Learning how to grill ribs may appear intimidating because they require more time over the coals than many other types of meat. The truth is that because they cook low and slow, they have a wider window of perfection than, say, a T-bone steak, which requires a keen sense of timing and temperature. Ribs are simple enough for beginners if you take the time to properly prepare them and learn where to cook them on the grill.
Consider meaty slabs stung with spice, smoked, and slathered in sticky sweet barbecue sauce. The meat is tender but not overly so, with a deep pork flavour enhanced by the pit master’s skill.
You might have thought such alchemy was only possible in the best barbecue joints. However, great ribs are surprisingly simple to make at home, which is welcome news at a time when eating out can be risky.
Let’s begin by going over the fundamentals of grilling ribs.
Here are Some Steps to Grill Ribs
How to Pick the Best Ribs?
Don’t just grab the first pack of ribs you see at the store and run. Different types of ribs have different flavours and textures, as well as cooking methods. The three most common types of ribs are as follows:
The most common and easiest to find are baby back ribs, which are smaller, meatier, and leaner than other varieties. These are the ribs we’ll be cooking in the recipe below.
Spareribs are bigger and have flat bones. Because they have more connective tissues, they will become tender after a long cooking time.
Spareribs with the removed rib tips are St. Louis-style ribs, which are more uniform and rectangular than the other types. They’re more difficult to cook, so you might want to start with baby backs or spareribs first.
Grilling Ribs: What you’ll Need
There are a few tools you’ll need when grilling ribs. Here are some essentials to have on hand:
- You’ll need a sturdy charcoal grill, which may seem obvious.
- You can flip your ribs without getting burned on the grill using a sturdy set of long grilling utensils.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your ribs reach the desired temperature.
- To marinate your ribs, use a shallow baking dish like this 13*9 pan.
How to Grill Ribs?
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- Soy sauce, 3/4 cup
- 1 cup sugar (distributed)
- 6 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Six teaspoons of olive oil
- Three minced garlic cloves
Meat:
Two racks of baby rack ribs (approximately 4-1/2 pounds)
Spice blend:
- 2 tsp sea salt
- One teaspoon paprika
- a half teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- One tablespoon of garlic powder
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the meat.
Most store-bought ribs have silverskin, a membrane covering the underside of the ribs. If you’re lucky, your butcher may remove it for you. Otherwise, you must remove it before cooking. Don’t worry; it’s easy to do.
Insert a knife between the membrane and the meat at one end of the ribs. Make sure not to pierce the membrane. To loosen the skin, work your fingers under it. You’re going to pull it off now. Wrap a paper towel around your hand to improve your grip. Pull the silverskin off gently but firmly. It should come off cleanly.
Step 2: Prepare the marinade.
Pork is delicious, but marinating ribs before cooking them on a charcoal grill enhances the flavour. It imparts a deep savoury flavour to the meat, making it more satisfying and delicious.
Making a marinade is simple. It’s just combining a variety of liquids and spices and soaking the meat in them overnight. In a bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout, combine the broth, soy sauce, 12 cups of sugar, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic for this recipe. Place the ribs in a shallow baking dish, such as a 13×9 baking dish. We should pour 2/3 of the marinade over the meat. Refrigerate overnight after turning to coat both sides. Turn the meat now and then to ensure that it is marinating evenly. (There is no need to get out of bed for this.) Turn before going to bed and again in the morning.)
Don’t throw away the remaining marinade. Refrigerate it after covering it. We will use it while grilling.
Kitchen Tip: Seasoning your meat ahead of time allows it to absorb the flavours. This means that even if you don’t add salt or barbecue sauce at the end, you’ll serve a meal that’s already delicious. (Of course, we would never skip the sauce, but it’s nice to use it as a highlight rather than a coverup for bland food.)
Step 3: Season the meat with a spice rub.
You want to add the spice rub. It’s as easy to make as the marinade, with just a few ingredients tossed together in a bowl. We use the remaining ½ cup sugar, as well as salt and seasonings, in this recipe.
Remove the ribs from the refrigerator. The marinade from the 139 should be drained and discarded. Dry the ribs with a towel (this helps the spice rub stick). Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs, patting it with your fingertips to help it stick.
Tip: Some people only use a marinade on their ribs, and others use only spice rub. We enjoy doing both! Marinating adds flavour layers that penetrate deep into the meat, whereas the spice rub adds flavour to the meat’s surface. The spicy, crackling exterior contrasts beautifully with the tender, succulent meat inside when the ribs are seared on the grill.
Step 4: Grill
Here’s the secret to grilling ribs: Allow time to cook them over indirect heat, and this causes the connective tissue to dissolve, resulting in perfectly tender, toothsome ribs. Cooking them too quickly over high heat can produce chewy and tough meat.
Preheat a clean grill to medium heat (around 200°F), then oil it. By the way, this is the best way to clean your grill.
Place the ribs directly on the grill, using tongs to help you. Grill, covered, for 30 minutes on each side over indirect medium heat.
After the first hour, reduce the heat to direct medium and cook the ribs for another 20-40 minutes, or until the pork is tender (more on this in a minute).
Turn occasionally and taste the reserved marinade (or barbecue sauce, if you prefer).
Tip: As you begin to baste with the sauce, keep an eye on it in case the sugars caramelize (brown) quickly. After all your preparations, you wouldn’t want to burn the ribs now, which is why we wait until the end of the cooking time to baste.
Step 5: Check for completion.
Ribs should “fall off the bone,” as the adage goes. But are your ribs falling off the bone? No, according to our Test Kitchen experts. We can all agree that chewy ribs are unpleasant, but if the meat falls off the bones, the ribs have been overcooked and may be dry.
When the meat starts to pull away from the ends of the bones, it’s time to start testing for doneness. This visual cue indicates that it is time to test. Pierce the meat with a fork, and the tines should easily glide through. You can also twist a rib bone slightly; it should move easily but not fall apart from the meat. Your ribs are overcooked if the meat falls off the bone. Remove from heat immediately and keep the sauce on hand if they’re a little dry. Don’t berate yourself! Remember to check earlier the next time.
We should cook your ribs to a temperature of about 190°F in total. Because of the high temperature, the tough collagen in muscle fibre melts, resulting in a tender rib. Insert a meat thermometer into the meat without piercing it or touching the bone to take the temperature of your ribs.
Step 6: Relax
You’ve certainly worked up an appetite by this point. After allowing your ribs to rest for 10-15 minutes:
- Divide them into manageable portions.
- Cut them into two-bone sections with a sharp chef’s knife.
- Make the cuts as close to the bone as possible so that each one has a lot of meat.
How Long do Pork Chops Take to Cook on a Gas Grill?
Close the lid and adjust the grill temperature to 300 F/150 C. Place the rack of ribs bone side down on the grill. Cook the ribs for 30 minutes. Keep the lid closed so that as much smoke as possible is retained.
What is the Best Way to Cook Pork Chops?
How do we bake ribs in the oven? Take out the membrane (remember, this guarantees ribs). Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Cook the ribs for 3 to 4 hours at a low temperature (275F) or until tender.
How do you Cook Pork Ribs without Overcooking them?
To keep meat from drying out, he recommends the following steps: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If you cooked your ribs in a sauce, add another layer of sauce or a little liquid, such as coke, broth, or beer, to keep the meat moist. Cover the ribs with aluminum foil in a pan.
Should you Boil the Pork Chops Before Grilling them?
Because ribs are fatty, many cooks choose to boil them for a short period or for an extended period to tenderize the rib meat. This renders some of the surface fat and makes removing the inner skin from the ribs before grilling them easier.
How Long should you Grill Ribs for?
To secure the ribs, use tongs to place them directly on the grill. Grill, covered, for 30 minutes on each side over indirect medium heat. After an hour, turn the ribs to direct medium heat and cook for another 20-40 minutes, or until the pork is tender (more on that in a minute).
What Temperature should I Cook the Ribs at?
Ribs are considered “done” when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F, but they can still be tough. When you heat them to 190-203°F, the collagens and fats melt, making the meat more tender and juicy. So they’re prepared!
How Long does it Take to Cook Ribs at 350°F?
The following are the three basic methods for cooking a rack of pork chops in the oven: 4 hours at a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit, 3 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit 2 hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you Know when the Ribs in the Oven are Done?
When the ribs are cooked, they are flexible but do not fall apart when bent. Hold the rack by the end with pliers to check. The other end should bend towards the ground, and cracks in the crust may form.
When is the Best Time to Wrap my Ribs?
Wrapping should be done halfway through the cooking process or when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150-160 degrees. Wrap the meat in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. We recommend the following method for wrapping ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket.
How do you Make Ribs More Tender?
Ribs cooked for four hours at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, will be more tender and juicy than ribs cooked for two hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Personal preference, but if you want super tender and juicy ribs, consider lowering the temperature and cooking them longer.
How do you Store Ribs After they’ve been Cooked?
Including Moisture Adding water to the foil or a roasting pan will aid in the moisture retention of the meat. A fresh layer of barbecue sauce can also help. Many people save the original pan juices and drippings and reheat them.
Conclusion
Ribs are barbecue at its most primal and unadorned; that is part of their allure. We can eat brisket with a knife and fork or, more likely, between two slices of white bread. Pork shoulder is available shredded or chopped and is always served on a bun.
Ribs, on the other hand, beg to be ripped apart with bare hands and gnawed right off the bone.
So that’s it for this article on how to grill ribs; we hope you enjoyed it.
