Semi-Pro: BBQ Ribs, Part 3

Now that the ribs have been prepped and the grill is heated up, it's time to put the two together. Take the ribs and place them bone side down, on the side of the grill away from the direct heat (be it your coals on a charcoal grill or the burner on the gas grill). Some pitmasters will add an additional water pan on the upper grate close to the ribs (but not directly over the fire, as we don't want to boil the water). If you have enough room on the grill, go for it. If not, don't sweat it too much. the pan below will do just fine. After that, close the lid and walk away. We're in for the long haul.

Let them be for the first hour. After that, it's time to check on them to be sure they are not drying out. This is usually done by spraying or mopping the ribs with something. It can be as simple as apple juice or a combination of juices, oils, vinegars and spices. Usually I will end up using one part apple juice and one part cider vinegar, sometimes with a bit of rub dissolved in the mix. Use a spray bottle or a a brush (the silicone brushes work, but the cloth/string mops like THIS are even better for this task). Add enough to keep the ribs from drying out, but not enough to wash the rub off.

Close the lid and repeat every 45 minutes or so until the ribs have been on for 3 hours.

At this point, you could continue to let the ribs cook until they are done in another hour or two. However, a number of pitmasters, especially in competition, will use the 'Texas Crutch', whereby the ribs are wrapped in foil with a bit of liquid to help tenderize and flavor the ribs further. Is it necessary? Probably not. Should you give it a try? Depends on how much time you have. For this cook, I did, with a twist. 

Using grill tongs, pull the ribs off the grill, place in a pan and bring them inside. Using heavy duty aluminum foil, pull a sheet 1 1/2 times as long as the ribs. Now it's time to gather your materials for the ribs:

The Parkay will help tenderize the ribs even further while inside the foil. The brown sugar and honey will add a layer of sweetness that will go between the spice from the rub and the sauce that will be used later. Place the ribs in the middle of the foil, lengthwise. Sprinkle a bit of the rub used on the ribs. Next, squeeze a line or two or Parkay on the ribs. Add a hand full of brown sugar, and follow up with a line or two of honey.

Bring the edges together above the ribs, then fold/crimp them together lengthwise so it is sealed. Do the same for the ends of the foil so that the ribs are now sealed. Alternatively, if you did not want to go the sugar/honey/Parkey route, that is perfectly fine. Wrap the ribs in foil as described above. Before crimping one of the ends of the package, add a bit of juice (apple, orange, pineapple, etc) into the foil packet, bone side down, then crimp the end tight. Once the ribs are done, place them back on the grill for another 45 -60 minutes with the lid closed. Pull them off the grill and remove from the foil packet. Be careful, as the steam may burn like a bag of microwave popcorn. When done, return to the grill for sauce

After 4+ hours, we're just about ready to eat. At this point, the meat should be starting to shrink back from the edges of the bones. The bones should twist just a bit, but should not fall out of the ribs. When held with tongs, the ribs should have quite a bit of give, but should not break in half. We can now add our sauce. What kind of sauce really depends on your preference. Homemade or store bought, mass market or bouquet, whatever tickles your taste buds. Using a brush or mop, add the sauce to the ribs. If the sauce seems too thick, or you prefer a thinner glaze on the ribs, just thin the sauce with some apple juice. Close the lid and let the sauce set for about 30 minutes. After that, it's finally time to pull them and get ready to eat.

The ribs should be tender, but with a bit of pull. The meat should be nice and moist, with a balance of spice sweet and a hint of smokiness. Contrary to popular belief, the ribs shouldn't fall off the bone, which is a sign that the ribs were overcooked. How you serve them is entirely up to you. You can take a knife and cut them into individual rib bones, or serve half or the entire slab at once.

That's it folks. The technique isn't really that complicated, but it does take time. Trust me, your patience will be well rewarded. As stated in the prologue, I am far from a professional. Every pitmaster may not follow the same exact steps as mentioned on these posts. After you try it yourself, you may want to tweak a few things more to your circumstances or liking. Have at it. As long as you can properly prep your ribs and keep a stable temperature you will be fine. Now go out there ans make yourselves some ribs people! Let me know how they turn out.

Until next time...