How to Cook BBQ Ribs

While barbecue ribs are especially popular in the American south, their appeal for meat-lovers is universal. Succulent, spicy, and smoky, barbecue ribs are surprisingly easy to cook. Learn how to make some lip-smacking barbecue in the following tutorial.

Steps

1
Choose which cut of ribs you want. barbecue ribs essentially come in two varieties. Spare ribs are fattier and take longer to cook. Baby back ribs are leaner and cook faster.
2
Make the rub. The rub is a spice mixture that you rub on the rib rack to give it flavor. A typical rub for a 2 lb rack of ribs might consist of:
- 1 tablespoon (5 ml) cumin
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) paprika
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) onion powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) white pepper
Advertisement
3
Make the mop (optional). A mop or baste is the liquid sauce that you coat the ribs with to keep them juicy and flavorful while they are cooking. Some people prefer dry ribs, without a mop.
4
Trim the ribs and apply the rub. Ribs will usually come with a large membrane on the back, non-meat side of the rack. Most people trim the membrane and discard it because it is hard to chew and prevents the rub from covering the entire rack. Coat the ribs evenly with olive oil or vegetable oil (optional). Apply the rub generously onto the meat so that the front and back of the rack are completely covered.
5
For spare ribs, place the ribs on a covered barbecue grill at 225° F (107° C) for 5-6 hours. For baby back ribs, cook at the same temperature for 3-4 hours. Place the ribs on the grill so that they are not directly over the heat source.
6
If desired, apply the mop every 45 minutes evenly across the ribs.
7
When the meat in the center of the ribs is white and the juices run clear, not pink, the cooking is done.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to cook the ribs before I add the sauce?

Community Answer

That's a personal choice. You can if you would like to, but it is not a requirement.

Warnings

Make sure your ribs are fully grilled. Undercooked pork may result in trichinosis. The recommended internal temperature for cooked pork is 160° F (71° C), a metric set by the CDC.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0