Every summer, we cook a lot of ribs. And these barbecued baby back ribs are the result of a lot of experimenting. We learned a lot from The Barbecue Bible, a fantastic barbecue recipe and reference book by Steven Raichlen.
Cooking Ribs: Low & Slow is The Way To Go
The result of that is that these ribs which are super flavorful, juicy, saucy, and tender and everyone loves them. I think that when you make them, you will too. The secret is the three steps: rub, mop, sauce, and cooking on indirect heat low and slow.
Why You Should Not Boil Your Ribs
Do not boil your ribs! Yes, boiling them does make them " fall off the bone", but it also removes all of the flavour. Cooking ribs on indirect heat, low and slow heat is what really brings out the deep flavour of the meat, so you are tasting more than just barbecue sauce. And it makes the ribs super tender and juicy.
Use Indirect Heat For Slow Grilling Ribs
How to cook depends on the size of your barbecue. Indirect heat is best, and I put mine in the middle, and turn the heat off there, then turn the end burners to medium. If you have a two burner barbecue, turn the heat on only one side, put the ribs on the side with no heat, put the cover down, and then turn the ribs every 30 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
Start with really good quality baby back ribs and use a rub, letting them marinate for at least an hour. Then, when on the grill, every 30 minutes or so, baste them with a mop made of ¼ cup olive oil and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Put your BBQ sauce on in the last 20 minutes of grilling. If you want to make your own sauce, it's easy. Check out Sweet & Smokey Barbecue Sauce. Serve these succulent ribs with veggies grilled along side the meat, towards the end of cooking time. And don't forget the napkins.
Saucy Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
Barbecue Rub
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup paprika
- 2 tablespoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoon Freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 lb pork baby back ribs
Rib Mop
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Combine rub ingredients, and rub all over your ribs, then put in the fridge for at least one hour to marinate.
- Turn all of your barbecue burners on high to preheat.
- Put your ribs on to sear on each side for 1-2 minutes, then turn the burner off underneath them, and the other elements to medium low. The settings are depending on the size and power of your barbecue, but you want them to cook for about 3 hours at approximately 300-350 degrees.
- Whisk oil and vinegar together and baste the ribs every 30 minutes, turning. Start the first baste after the ribs have been cooking for an hour. This allows the rub to form a crust so that it won't be washed off.
- After about three hours, check for tenderness and if your ribs are about right, turn heat to low. Slather barbecue sauce on one side of the ribs, cook for 20 minutes with the lid down, then turn, slather the other side and cook for a final 20 minutes with the lid down.
- Transfer ribs to a platter and serve with lots of napkins.
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