This weekend is Memorial Day which in my house is a direct translation to "season opening of barbecuing and swimming". If you have the time I strongly suggest giving this rib recipe a try - you wont regret it. Welcome Summer!
Barbecue Ribs
Ingredients:
1 slab of St. Louis Cut ribs or if you can't find them go for 2 slabs of Baby Backs.
SLCs are the meatiest and most flavorful ribs. They are spareribs with the tips removed so they form a nice rectangular rack. You can use baby back ribs if you prefer. They are smaller and cook faster.
BBQ Rub
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup paprika, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup garlic powder, 2 tablespoons ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons rosemary powder
2 cups apple juice {1 cup per slab}
BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder,1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon table salt, 2 cups ketchup, 1/2 cup yellow ballpark-style mustard, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup steak sauce, 1/4 cup dark molasses, 1/4 cup honey, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 4 medium cloves of garlic, crushed or minced.
1) In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, black pepper, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, steak sauce, molasses, honey, hot sauce, and brown sugar. Mix them, but you don't have to mix thoroughly.
2) Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute until limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Crush the garlic, add it, and cook for another minute. Add the dry spices and stir for about 2 minutes to extract their oil-soluble flavors. Add the wet ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid off to thicken it a bit.
3) Taste and adjust. Add more of anything that you want a little bit at a time. It may taste a bit vinegary at first, but that will be less obvious when you use it. Strain it if you don't want the chunks of onion and garlic. I prefer leaving them in. They give the sauce a home-made texture. You can use it immediately, but I think it's better when aged overnight. You can store it into clean bottles in the refrigerator for a month or two.
An 18 pound bag of charcoal...or if you're a charlatan, then a propane tank.
Note: Do not EVER use the instant light briquettes, the chemicals they are doused in will give off a nasty taste to your food. Use *real* charcoal if you have it, if not then use regular briquettes. With either briquettes or charcoal use a chimney starter for even heating without chemicals.
8 ounces {by weight} of wood chucks - I like hickory.
Directions:
1. Rinse the ribs in cool water to remove any bone bits from the butchering and any bacterial film that grew in the package (don't worry, cooking will sterilize the meat). Pat dry with paper towels.
2. If the butcher has not removed the membrane from the back side, do it yourself. It gets leathery and hard to chew, it keeps fat in, and it keeps smoke and sauce out. Insert a butter knife under the membrane, then your fingers, work a section loose, grip it with a paper towel, and peel it off. Finally, trim the excess fat from both sides. If you can't get the skin off, with a sharp knife, cut slashes through it every inch so some of the fat will render out during the cooking.
3. Coat the meat with a thin layer of vegetable oil because most of the flavorings in the rub are oil soluble, not water soluble. The oil will help the flavor get beyond the surface and help make the bark, the desired crust on the top. A lot of seasoned barbecue cooks use a base of mustard, but I think oil works better. Sprinkle enough of the BBQ Rub to coat all surfaces but not so much that the meat doesn't show through. That is about 2 tablespoons per side depending on the size of the slab. Spread the BBQ Rub on the meat, rub it in, and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. Some folks insist on putting the rub on the night before, but I don't think this is necessary.
4. Set up your grill for indirect 2-zone grilling.
5. Preheat your grill to about 225°F and try to keep it there throughout the cook. Adjust the air intake dampers at the bottom to control heat on charcoal grills. Intake dampers are more effective than exhaust dampers for controlling the temp because they reduce the supply of oxygen to the coals. Take your time getting the temp right. Cooking at 225°F will allow the meat to roast low and slow, liquefying the collagen in connective tissues and melting fats without getting the proteins knotted in a bunch. It's a magic temp that creates silky texture, adds moisture, and keeps the meat tender. If you can't hit 225°F, get as close as you can. Don't go under 200°F and try not to go over 250°F.
6. For charcoal or gas cookers, add 4 ounces of wood at this time. On a gas grill, put the wood as close to the flame as possible. On a charcoal grill, put it right on the hot coals. Resist the temptation to add more wood. Nothing will ruin a meal faster and waste money better than oversmoked meat. You can always add more the next time you cook, but you cannot take it away if you oversmoke.
7. Put the slabs on the grill on the indirect side of the grill, meaty side up. Close the lid and go have fun with your friends & family, after all that's what holidays are all about!
8. When the smoke dwindles after 20 to 30 minutes, add another 4 ounces of wood. That's it. Stop adding wood. If you have more than one slab on, halfway through the cook you will need to move the ribs closest to the fire away from the heat, and the slabs farthest from the flame in closer. Leave the meat side up. There is no need to flip the slabs. Otherwise, keep your lid on. Opening the lid just upsets the delicate balance of heat, moisture, and oxygen inside your cooker. It can also significantly lengthen the cooking time.
9. Pull off two strips of heavy-duty wide aluminum foil about six feet long. Fold each in half until they are three feet long and make a canoe out of each big enough to hold each slab and so it will hold liquid without leaking. Take the meat off of the grill temporarily {make sure to close the lid on your grill so that you don't change the temp}. Place each slab on the foil, meat side up. Pour 1 cup apple juice into the foil but not over the ribs so you don't wash off too much rub. Be careful that the bones don't poke holes in the foil. It is important that the packet not leak liquid from the bottom, and that steam not be able to escape from the top.
10. Put the sealed meat back on the grill at 225°F. After 30 minutes in foil the meat should be thoroughly cooked. Push it much beyond 30 minutes and you risk overcooking the meat and turning it mushy. Now open the package being extremely careful to avoid the hot steam that will escape. Remove the ribs, place them back on the grill, and cook at 225°F to dry off the surface and firm up the crust until the the surface has dried and they are ready. That may be as little as one hour or as many as three, sepending on the individual slab of meat, how accurate your thermometer is, and how steady you have kept the temp.
11. Test for doneness: Allow 5 to 6 hours for St. Louis Cut ribs or 3 to 4 hours for baby back ribs. The exact time will depend on how thick the slabs are and how steady you have kept the temp. If you use rib holders so they are crammed close to each other, add another hour. Then check to see if they are ready. I use the bend test (a.k.a. the bounce test). Pick up the slab with tongs and bounce it gently. If the surface cracks, it is ready.
12. Now paint both sides with your favorite home made barbecue sauce or store-bought sauce and put it directly over the hottest part of the grill in order to caramelize and crisp the sauce. On a charcoal grill, just move the slab over the coals. On a gas grill, remove the water pan and crank up all the burners. On a water smoker, remove the water pan and move the meat close to the coals. On an offset smoker, put a grate over the coals in the firebox and put the meat there. With the lid open so you don't roast the meat from above, sizzle the sauce on one side and then the other. Stand by your grill and watch because sweet sauce can go from caramelized to cabonized in less than a minute! One coat of a thick sauce should be enough, but if you need two, go ahead, but no more! Don't hide all the fabulous flavors under too much sauce. If you think you'll want more sauce, put some in a bowl on the table.
Note: If you've done all this right, you will notice that there is a thin pink layer beneath the surface of the meat. This does not mean it is undercooked! It is the highly prized smoke ring caused by the combustion gases and the smoke. It is a sign of Amazing Ribs. Now be ready to take a bow when the applause swells from the audience.
