Baby Back Ribs, how do ya cook em?

[Woodenhead]

I got a screamin deal on a big box of baby backs the other day (Thank you Safeway). I love ribs but have never cooked em.



So how do you cook em? I've got lots of ribs so I think I'm gonna try a few different ways.



Mike

 

[fkovalski]

I par boil ‘em for about 10 minutes and then REAL SLOW smoke ‘em over hickory wood for about 2 hours. You could do the same with a gas grill with a smoke box on the side. I use my own Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. You still have to slightly gnaw the bone using this method, but I like that kind of texture. I have a friend that likes to have ‘em fall off the bone and he boils them for a bout 40 minutes. To me, that takes away too much of the flavour, but he likes the taste of the sauce too much to care. I would not recommend a rub with sauce. There are some good rubs out there, but in my opinion they are too salty and conflict with the taste of a good sauce. Hint: if you choose to par boil, add a ‘lil sugar to the water. I like my ribs to be like candy!

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Sorry, I don't have much to contribute other than the fact that I REALLY enjoy a good rack-o-ribs every now and then.



As a matter of fact the Texas Roadhouse in Muncie had some killer ribs last year... .



I have heard of the par-boiling then slow smoke/cook routine... . that would be my vote for the best method. Seems to work fine for most folks... .



Smoked food is almost as addictive as fried stuff... . I love it.



Matt

 

[fkovalski]

Originally posted by HoleshotHolset



Smoked food is almost as addictive as fried stuff... . I love it.

Matt,

How 'bout a deep fried BBQ rib? hey... if they can deep fry a Twinky...

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I think my body would reject that as being too good to be true... . :-laf



Matt

 

[parcher]

Salt, pepper and barbeque seasoning, generously on both sides, NO SAUCE. Turn the gas grille to high and let it get hot. Sear the ribe for 5 minutes per side the take them off the grille. Make a pouch out of aluminum foil and put the ribs in the pouch. Turn th grille to its lowest setting and put the pouch on the grilles and don't even check on 'em for an hour. I've done six racks in 2 pouches on 1 grilles for 2 1/2 hours. Ribs will be juicier than you can beleive and full of flavor. I have people begging me to cook ribs for them.

 

[Alan Reagan]

I'm with parcher on the no sauce. I use dry rub only on ribs, usually cajun seasoning.



One thing I started doing this past summer was marinating the ribs in a soft drink solution. I have used Sprite (my preference because of the lemon/lime) and I've used Pepsi (very good also). I marinade the ribs in the soft drink with cajun seasoning several hours before cooking. It moistens the meat and the flavor is very mild. After removing them from the marinade, I put the spices on and then slow cook. One other thing I do is chip some pecan wood up, soak it and toss a little on the coals as the ribs slow cook.



Don't overcook the baby backs. Don't try to cook them too fast. Slow is the key. Most people cook the ribs until the meat falls off the bone. Watching the BBQ cookoff in Memphis this year, one of the contestants said that is overcooking. So now I slow cook until the meat starts to pull back good at the ends of the bones but not release and fall off on its own. At that point, it's easy to pull the meat off but it's not overly tough and dry.



When they are done, I take a commercial sauce and add honey, pepper (cayenne if I want them hot) and some more cajun seasoning. Stir it up and serve it on the side for dipping. Sweet tea, cole slaw, garlic bread and some baked beans and its time to eat.



I'm hungry. I want some ribs.

 

[mcoleman]

I use the par-boil method with hand rubbed seasonings. The kids prefer sauce on theirs though.

 

[Woodenhead]

Thanks for the info. fellas.



So many decisions. I think I'm gonna do em both, the dry rub with no sauce (sauce on the side), and the slow cook in the sauce. I'm on vacation so I got all day on Monday to make this happen.



I like the ideas on bombing the commercial sauce.



I think it's time to go out and get a new grill and some more beer.



Thanks again

Mike

 

[fkovalski]

Originally posted by Woodenhead



... slow cook in the sauce.

I would smoke/ grill/ cook/ whatever first, THEN apply the sauce. In my opinion it is easier this way and you use less sauce than cooking them in it.

I always like to experiment just as it sounds your are doing. My sauces are never the same. It's an on- going trial and error. A 'lil Jack in the sauce, a 'lil Jack in me.

Let us know how it turns out. -frank.

 

[Woodenhead]

Thanks for the tip Frank. I'll do a batch without cooking em in the sauce. I've about three plans for cookin em. Maybe one for Monday, one for Wed and one for Fri. Yes I like to experiment with food, where's the fun in doing everything the same (cept for mixin drinks )



Mike

 

[Elite1]

This is a killer recipe...

take a rack of ribs and season them with garlic salt & pepper. In a large rectangular pan pour 2 beers over them. Bake in the oven for 3 hours at 300 deg. , pull out transfer them onto your BBQ with lots of hickory chips. ( I have a large gas BBQ, I use 2 metal smoke boxes, keep them filled with hickory chips, I lay the ribs in the middle and only keep the flame on the side burners) let them smoke in the BBQ for about 1/2 an hour or until you have a nice texture, brush on your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Rays) let cook for 5 more minutes..... enjoy!