We are having our first ever rib cook off this weekend-does anybody have any secrets (to share)about bbq ribs-
I have see a bunch of different ways, but trust the members here more.
Do you marinate before?  dry rub before? prep in any special way? cook any special way-etc....


Thanks!

I would call these guys.
[img]detnews.com/pix/2000/06/23/e02ironchefs.jpg[/img]

with beef ribs boil them first with lots of seasoning in the water then bbq them do not put sauce on till your ready to take them off the bbq
pork use a dry rub and cook slow real slow
simple dry rub is seaonall and add garlic powder ,cayenne pepper and couple TBSP brown sugar

quison (sp)
YES-go ahead
what the challenger has here is a mix of salt, pepper and red pepper.  he is putting it on the ribs in a dry rub...
lady: oooohhh I like ribs....

how is gas compared to charcoal for flavor AND can you cook the ribs completley on the grill or will that be bad...

I boil pork ribs too.

The key is to get the meat fully cooked (just enough to be SAFE but not much more) by boiling, then take care not to burn your BBQ sauce on the grill.

When grilling, I cook covered with the vents most of the way closed to prevent flareups and hot spots.

Don't drink too much before the meat is cooked.

Overboil, and the meat will fall off the bones.

Overgrill and it will end up dried out.

I marinate pork ribs overnight. Then smoke them slowly for 6-8 hours. Par boiling is only good for quick ribs.

Flavor with a gas grill is the same as if you broiled it in your oven.

Ya gas is not good for BBQ, unless you have some hickory chips smoking in the gasgrill too.

You could make a sauce out of ancho chilis and add that to the ribs to make up for the loss of flavor.

the best ribs i ever had were pork w/dry rub cooked in a smoker for 2-3 hrs. w/hickory or mesquite. rub them & let sit overnight. i don't have the recipe handy but i think its ..paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and rosemary.

Boil them and you will have juicy ribs. Use plenty of spices in the boil water.

Mine are like a sore dick. Hard to beat!

Rub with mixture of pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, soy-sauce and a little tobasco and let it sit over-night.  Then steam the ribs for 1 hour in a steamer and make sure ribs don't sit in the water (don't use pressure cooker).  

Grill the ribs over coal (low heat) for about 20-30 minutes per side.  Brush BBQ sauce on each side and cook additional 10 minutes per side.

Amatuers.

Take a clean 55 gallon barral, drill 6 pair of horizontal 3/8" holes approximately 16" apart and 6", 12" and 20" from the top.  Put 6 3'8" threaded rod through the holes with nuts on the threaded rods  and then put 3 used 22" round grill wire on them.  Cut the hole out the bottom of the barrel and pound the edges flat against the side of the barrel.  Get one of those big aluminum pans (used for roasting +20 lb turkeys).  This will be your cooker.

I like beaf ribs and here's what I do:

- Marinate the ribs overnight in a cooler using your special manrinating sauce (for me its usually Cattlemans)
- About 6 hours before you want to eat, fill a steel pan approximately 22" in diameter (one of those steel oil change pans will work, but make sure its new and you cover it with al foil) with charcoal and get it started.  Put the barrel over the charcoal pan and let it sit until the charcoal is ready.

- Put the aluminum pan on the bottom most grill, fill with the marinade (heat the marinade first to almost boiling).

- Put your uncut rib racks on the second and top grills, arrange them so that they are above the marinade pan.  Close up the barrel and let it sit for about 2 hours.  Turn the ribs over, wait another 2 hours and then cover with your sauce.  Cover again and then serve after about a half hour.

I do my ribs this way twice or so a year and they always turn out fully cooked, very moist and never overcooked nor dry.  I have some 1/4: holes in the top of the barrel cover that I put in thermometers to measure the temp; it usually is only around 150 - 225 degrees F max.  It will work for pork ribs, but cut down on the time a little bit since they are not as big as beef ribs.

Enjoy!

Merlin

P.S. I was only kidding about the amatuers comment: I really appreciate the other members comments!

Merlin

Its obvious that i will be needin' a charcoal grill-would anybody recommend one of those with the spot on the lower, side of the grill where the charcoal goes?

Some oven ribs.  Haven't tried, but sounds good:

COMPETITION BAR-B-Q RIBS
Recipe courtesy Chris Lilly
4 slabs pork loin back ribs

First Stage Dry Rub:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/3 cup garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Second Stage:
1/2 cup apple juice per slab
1/2 cup grape juice per slab

Third Stage:
3/4 cup First Stage rub
1/4 cup brown sugar

Finishing Glaze:
1 1/2 cup Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce or your favorite red sauce
1/2 cup honey


Raw Preparation: Place slab of ribs bone side down on table. Slide knife under the membrane and against the end bone to separate the 2. With a dry paper towel, grasp the edge of the thin membrane and pull. The entire membrane should separate from the rib.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine First Stage rub and mix well. Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs. Gently pat to ensure that rub will adhere. Place ribs meat-side up on a broiler pan and bake for 2 1/4 hours.

Remove ribs from oven. Place each rib meat-side down on its own doubled aluminum foil square. Foil should be large enough to completely wrap rib. Mix the Second Stage juices. Pour 1 cup of liquid over each rib. At the same time wrap and seal each rib tight. Return to the oven for 1 hour.

Remove wrapped ribs from oven. Remove from foil and apply a medium coat of the Third Stage rub to the meat-side of the ribs. Place uncovered in the oven meat-side up for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush finishing glaze on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in oven for 10 minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.


Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

Do you like your ribs spicy or sweet? or both?

I tried smoking the ribs-seemed like they were almost too smoked-even tough. My grill was at about 250 deg, put hickory chunks on coals-only got about 1.5 hrs of smoking in.

Does anybody have a surefire way to smoke pork ribs-or is it possible to boil them and then smoke them?

pressure cooker makes em tender before BBQ them.
Coke also makes a good tenderizer.Just dont leave them in to long or it will be gone!

Try to pre-boil them in a solution of 90% water 10% vinegar and only smoke them with HICKORY, this is the way us rednecks down south do it anyway.

The true secret of BBQ ribs is to invite me to eat them!!!![:D][:D] All kiding aside, looks like some great ideas here. Mind if I copy them[x] Have a great cook-off.!!!!

Cleatus-  Please, for the love of all that is Holy, DO NOT BOIL YOUR RIBS!  With all due respect to the previous posters, I am the Grandmaster of BBQ.  My ribs are the stuff of lore.  My Kung Fu is the best.  I cannot tell you how to cook your ribs without the knowledge of what you are cooking them on, so if you get this message, either post that info here or email me.  Here a couple of steadfast rules:


 *  NEVER boil ribs
 *  A simple rub of salt, white pepper and paprika is good.
 *  NEVER use gas, use charcoal or lump if you are good enough to gauge "hot spots"
 *  There are no other ribs on God's green earth other than pork spareribs, uncut, unfrenched and otherwise intact.
 *  Score the back of the ribs before cooking to avoid the meat pulling up during cooking.
 *  DO NOT apply sauce until the ribs are done.  Apply evenly and flip frequently to avoid burning.  To apply the sauce earlier will burn the ribs.
 *  If your rub is balanced right, and you use an aromatic wood or lump medium, your ribs will be so good you will wonder why people use sauce at all.

 Like I said, lemme know exactly what your grill is and I'll try to steer ya right.  I myself have 5 grills.  Why?  Each has it's purpose, like multiple firearms, no one grill is good for all meats.  But here is the most important aspect, seriously, of BBQ:  RELAX AND HAVE FUN!

PH-
I will be using a charcoal grill- with hickory chips-I also have a gas grill if needed.

Pheonix-
THE RECIPIES ARE ALL MINE!!! Bwuhahahahahahaha!
IF YOU WANT THEM...ITS GOING TO COST YOU.....ONE MEEEEEELION DOLLARS....

I bought a slab of ribs, cut into 4 pieces, and dry rubbed with 4 different 'rubs'  of them all Emerils creole essence turned out the best in my opinion. Rubbed, smoked for about 1.5 hrs or so put some sauce on to complete.

PS  if you are looking for some strong, fresh spices check out a place called Penzeys.com  lots of good stuff-and the prices aint too bad either!

ALL YOUR BBQ RIB RECIPIES ARE BELONG TO US!!!






Sorry, I couldn't resist.[:)]

SOMEONE SET US UP THE RIBS!!!!

I tried to keep the temp down-closed all of the vents-but seemed like the coals were going out-which vents do you keep open top one on the lid or the bottom one or both?

I made my grill last weekend.  I used cinderblocks set 2 tall in a rectangle pattern.  I lined the inside bottom with fire bricks then stacked firebrick 2 tall up the walls.  I spaced the firebrick so my grill will fit on top of them.  For a cover I cut a 55gallon drum (had food grade stuff in it before) in half lenghtwise.  In the hole that has the screw out plug I am mounting a thermometer.  

I have a bud that had a apple tree blow down in a storm.  He is going to run the wood through a chipper and give me 5+ gallons of the chips to use for smoking.  I have heard that you soak the chips in beer before placing on the coals, this keeps them from catching fire too quick and gives you lotsa smoke!  Cant wait to break in the grill right.  So far I have cooked chicken on it.

Cleatus- the advice on not cooking over the coals is correct.  Use offset cooking for smoking, either with the ribs in the middle with the coals on either side or ribs on one side/coals on the other.  The exception to this is if you use a 55 drum, as God intended.  If the grates are the proper height above the bottom, these are to be used direct heat.  Good GOD, the smoke!  The sweet, sweet, SWEET smoke of a Southern afternoon spent having a few beers and tending to the magical drum.  I am horny with anticipation.  Some say I have a problem.  But my kung fu is the best.