First-Timer's Ribs [Easy Ribs Recipe] - Barbecuebible.com (2024)

Ribs

First-Timer's Ribs [Easy Ribs Recipe] - Barbecuebible.com (1)

Well, if this is your idea of the perfect rib (and it should be), here’s your master recipe. It will teach you the principles of first-class ribsmanship – skinning the ribs, rubbing the meat, using a mop sauce, glazing with a barbecue sauce, and harnessing the mouth-watering powers of wood smoke.

But ultimately, it’s so simple you can prepare it from start to finish in about an hour and a half, only ten minutes of which is actual work. This is the foolproof recipe that gives you competition-quality bones every time!

For visuals and more help with these steps, head over to Fix.com.

Other Delicious Ribs Recipes

  • Chinatown Ribs
  • Island Spice Beef Ribs
  • Righteous Ribs

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First-Timer’s Ribs

Recipe Notes

  • Advance Prep: None
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Method: Indirect grilling, followed by direct grilling
  • Equipment: 1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or apple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained; barbecue mop

Ingredients

For the mop sauce:

  • 3tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 1cup apple cider
  • 3tablespoonsbourbon, or 3 more tablespoons apple cider
  • 3tablespoonssoy sauce

For the rub and ribs:

  • 2tablespoonscoarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 2tablespoonsbrown sugar
  • 2tablespoonssweet paprika
  • 1tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2teaspoonsdry mustard (preferably Colman’s)
  • 2teaspoonsgarlic powder
  • 1/2teaspoon celery seed
  • 2racks baby back pork ribs (4 to 5 pounds total)
  • Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce or another favorite barbecue sauce

Recipe Steps

Step 1: Make the mop sauce: Melt the butter in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cider, bourbon, and soy sauce. Keep warm until ready to use.

Step 2: Make the rub: Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, mustard, garlic powder, and celery seed in a small bowl and mix with your fingers, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar or garlic powder.

Step 3: Prepare the ribs: Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a baking sheet. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. The best place to start is on one of the middle bones. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with the remaining rack.

Step 4: Set aside 1 tablespoon of rub for serving. Sprinkle the remaining rub over both sides of the ribs, rubbing it onto the meat. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you set up the grill.

Step 5: Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325° to 350°F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill.

Step 6: When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs, bone side down, in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. (If your grill has limited space, stand the racks of ribs upright in a rib rack.) If cooking on a charcoal grill, toss half of the wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs for 45 minutes.

Step 7: Mop the ribs on both sides with the mop sauce. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours in all. When the ribs are cooked, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch. Mop the ribs again every 15 minutes and, if using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals as needed.

Step 8: Just before serving, brush the ribs on both sides with some of the Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce and move them directly over the fire. Grill the ribs until the barbecue sauce is browned and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes per side.

Step 9: Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the racks in half or into individual ribs. Serve the ribs at once with the barbecue sauce on the side. Serve any the reserved rub on the side.

Recipe Tips

How to cook First-Timer’s Ribs in a smoker: Set up and light the smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat it to low (250°F). Place the ribs in the smoker bone side down and smoke until cooked through, 4 to 5 hours. Start mopping the ribs with the mop sauce after 1 hour, then mop the ribs again once every hour. Brush the ribs with the Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce a half hour before they are done smoking. You’ll need to replenish the wood chips or chunks after the first and second hour of smoking and to replenish the coals every hour.

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First-Timer's Ribs [Easy Ribs Recipe] - Barbecuebible.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you BBQ ribs for beginners? ›

Place ribs directly on clean grill grate and grill for 2 hours, rotating every 45 minutes or so to ensure even cooking. After two hours, remove ribs from the grill and wrap tightly in foil. Add ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to each rib pack. Return to grill for another 2 hours, rotating every 30-45 minutes.

What is the 3 2 1 rule for BBQ? ›

Essentially, 3 2 1 ribs go like this: 3 hours of smoking the ribs directly on the pellet grill. 2 hours wrapped in foil, still cooking on the grill. 1 hour of cooking, unwrapped and slathered in barbecue sauce.

What is the best method for cooking ribs? ›

The best, most fool-proof way to make sure that your ribs are fall off the bone tender is to bake them, covered, at a low temperature in your oven. We bake our ribs in a 275°F oven for two to three hours. It is this simple method that guarantees tender ribs!

Do you put BBQ sauce on ribs before grilling? ›

As a fatty cut, ribs take well to spice rubs, but we love our ribs with some sticky barbecue sauce too. Just apply the rub as you normally would before cooking, and then brush the glaze on in the last 5 minutes on the grill to achieve the perfect crusty, gooey ribs.

Do you put barbecue sauce on ribs before cooking? ›

You will want to add barbecue sauce to your ribs during the final 20-30 minutes of cooking. While brushing on sauce just remember, don't drown your ribs. If you are like me and love more sauce, there is no reason you can't serve even more on the side.

Should you open or close BBQ when starting? ›

If you're making something that cooks quickly directly over the flame like burgers or steaks, then yes, keep the lid open. If you are cooking a thick pork chop, barbecued chicken thighs or another item that requires a longer cooking time, you should use indirect heat and close the lid.

Should you BBQ with lid up or down? ›

Whether it is better to cook food with the barbecue lid on or off depends on the food you're barbecuing. We recommend leaving the BBQ lid open when grilling sausages & burgers as these will need to be turned regularly. Closing the BBQ lid when cooking chicken, steak, fish, and vegetables can help them cook evenly.

When BBQ Do I close the lid? ›

The heat doesn't build up and intensify the way it would if the lid was down. Thin pork chops, shrimp, and burgers tend to cook quickly. Leaving the grill lid up will slow the cooking process by reducing the temperature around the meat. For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even.

Should ribs be wrapped in foil when grilling? ›

Wrapping your ribs are key if you want to lock in all of the moisture and flavor! Double wrap each rack of ribs securely and enjoy some ribs in no time.

What is the secret to grilling ribs? ›

Pretty much every rib recipe out there calls for using a low and slow, indirect grilling method. Grilling them over direct, high heat is a great way to overcook them and have them turn out tough. Indirect, low heat will help create tender meat that will easily tear off of the bone.

How many times do you flip ribs on the grill? ›

A rack of back ribs will take between 1 1/2 -2 hours to cook (with lid closed), and you should flip them approximately every 20 minutes. Baste with BBQ sauce each time you flip. To check for doneness and tenderness, insert a sharp-knife between two ribs, it should insert without any resistance.

How do you make ribs juicy? ›

They key to tender and juicy ribs is a slow cook process at low temperatures. The best way to maximize tenderness and juiciness is to braise your ribs, which means cook them in a liquid. This liquid needs to be salty to not draw the juices out of the ribs through osmosis.

How do pitmasters cook ribs? ›

He also doesn't wait six hours for his ribs to cook, either. The 3-2-1 method is as simple as it sounds: Pop your ribs in the smoker for three hours, pull them out and wrap them either in foil or butcher paper for two more hours, then slather some sauce on them and cook them for one more hour still.

How do you keep ribs juicy? ›

Maintain a low and steady temperature: When smoking ribs, it's crucial to maintain a consistent temperature. Aim for a temperature between 225°F and 250°F (107°C and 121°C) throughout the cooking process. This slow and low cooking method helps break down the collagen in the meat and keeps it moist.

How do you prepare ribs for grilling? ›

I would make a nice dry rub and season generously, then wrap them in plastic wrap overnight for a good marinating. Then before you grill them, pat them dry with a paper towel, a pat down, not a rub all the seasoning off, just so the ribs are not wet, then put them on a hot grill, lid closed wit...

Do you soak ribs before grilling? ›

Let your ribs marinate in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, and baste them periodically. Finally, take your ribs out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you cook them for the best flavor. To learn how to make an Asian-inspired marinade or a coffee-molasses marinade, keep reading!

How long does it take to barbeque ribs? ›

How long does it take to cook ribs on the grill? Depending on the heat of your grill, your ribs should take about 1 ½ to 2 hours in total. Use visual cues to know when your ribs are done—you want them to be tender and easily pierced with a fork, but not completely falling off the bone.

Do I put the ribs on the grill or on foil? ›

Foil-Wrapped Ribs On The Grill. Wrapping your ribs are key if you want to lock in all of the moisture and flavor! Double wrap each rack of ribs securely and enjoy some ribs in no time.

References

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