| Believe me, there are many, many ways to cook | | | | - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar |
| ribs. Some recipes call for the ribs to be grilled directly | | | | - 1/4 cup smoked paprika |
| over a hot fire, others cooked by indirect heat on | | | | - 3 tbs black pepper |
| the grill, but the ribs that taste the best by far are | | | | - 3 tbs coarse salt |
| cooked "low and slow" on a smoker. | | | | - 2 tsp garlic powder |
| The term "Low and Slow" refers to cooking the ribs | | | | - 2 tsp onion powder |
| at a very low temperature (about 225 degrees) for a | | | | - 2 tsp celery seeds |
| long period of time (about 5-6 hours). This gives you | | | | - 1 tsp cayenne pepper |
| the most tender and flavorful ribs possible. | | | | You can adjust the amounts to suit your taste and |
| There are several different styles of barbecue | | | | add or subtract as you please, but this will give you a |
| smokers available which I discuss in another article | | | | good starting point. |
| but, the style I prefer is the off-set barrel smoker. | | | | Once you have that done, you can fire up your |
| This give you a cooking chamber with a separate | | | | smoker and give it time to attain 225 degrees. Never |
| fire-box off to one side and slightly lower than the | | | | put the ribs on the smoker until your temperature is |
| rest of the smoker. It's a very efficient design for | | | | up and constant. If you do, you run the risk of |
| this particular type of barbecuing. | | | | having ribs that are under cooked, and that's never |
| Meat choice is another consideration. There are Spare | | | | good. Now add any wood that you want to use. |
| Ribs which are meaty and sometimes can be tough. | | | | Hickory is just fine for this purpose, but you can also |
| Baby Back Ribs, which are usually the most tender, | | | | use apple, cherry or pecan wood for a different |
| but are smaller in size. Then there's the St. Louis Cut. | | | | flavor profile. |
| These are the perfect cross between the | | | | I use a cooking method called the 3-2-1 method. This |
| tenderness of the Baby Backs and the larger size of | | | | is the most sure-fire way to get perfect ribs every |
| the Spare Ribs. The St. Louis Style is the cut I prefer | | | | time. |
| and also chosen by most of the top barbecue | | | | You start out by smoking the ribs in the smoker at |
| competitors on the circuit today. | | | | 225 degrees for the first 3 hours. After three hours, |
| I start by removing the membrane, or fell, from the | | | | take the ribs off the smoker and double wrap them |
| back of the rack of ribs. The membrane is the thin, | | | | tightly in aluminum foil. But before you seal them up, |
| plastic-like substance on the back (or bottom) of the | | | | place about 1/3 cup of apple juice in the foil pouch |
| ribs. This is done for two reasons. First, the | | | | with the ribs. Place the tightly sealed foiled ribs and |
| membrane is tough, so removing the membrane will | | | | apple juice back on the 225 degree smoker, and |
| make the ribs more tender. Secondly, it will allow for | | | | leave them to cook for 2 hours. The apple juice will |
| the flavors of the dry rub and smoke to penetrate | | | | both flavorize and, by steaming, tenderize the ribs. |
| the meat deeper for a better tasting product. | | | | Unwrap the ribs after the two hour period and place |
| To remove the membrane, you simply lay the ribs on | | | | them back on the smoker for 1 more hour to finish |
| a hard surface such as a table or kitchen counter | | | | the cooking process. You can slather on your choice |
| with the bone side up. Start at a corner with a fork, | | | | of barbecue sauce at this time for an added layer of |
| spoon or something sharp (I prefer a meat | | | | flavor. |
| thermometer) and pry it up. Then with a dry paper | | | | Now it has been six hours of cooking time (3-2-1) |
| towel, pull the membrane off. It will take some time | | | | and your ribs should be done to perfection. Take |
| and practice to do this efficiently, but the results will | | | | them off the smoker and coat them one more time |
| be worth it. | | | | with barbecue sauce for that shiny look that is so |
| Once the membrane has been removed, you can | | | | eye-appealing. It's really important at this point to let |
| apply a dry rub. Coat the ribs generously on both | | | | them rest for 5 - 10 minutes before serving to allow |
| sides and rub it into the meat. You can either do this | | | | the meat to finish cooking and the meat juices to |
| early and let them marinade in the refrigerator for up | | | | really kick in. Don't be too surprised at the "OOH's |
| to 6 hours or you can put them right on the smoker. | | | | and AAH's that you get when you finally bring these |
| However, the longer they marinade, the richer the | | | | ribs to the table. They will be a real show-stopper. |
| flavor will be. | | | | And there you have it, the No-Fail Strategy for |
| There are as many rub recipes as there are rib | | | | Smoking the Perfect BBQ Ribs. Take your time and |
| recipes. But a good standard barbecue rub consists | | | | ENJOY! |
| of: | | | | |