Though I say it myself this recipe makes the best Barbeque Pork Ribs!
Ideally they should be cooked for hours in a BBQ smoker. They require a certain amount of preparation, but if you’re a fan of ribs or have a BBQ smoker you’ve got to have a go at them yourself!
If you don’t have a smoker but do have a barbecue grill with a lid you can use a smoker box with wood chips and get the same result.
The method, timing and taste are really the same as with the barbecue smoker – only the equipment is slightly modified.
The secret of success with any BBQ rib recipe lies in the long, slow cooking time – because ribs are a fatty cut of meat they need it.
Also if you’re going to cook something for several hours, you may as well smoke it too.
These two techniques virtually guarantee extremely delicious, tender meat.
So here goes…
Ingredients for the Barbecue Rub
Try either of these rubs on the BBQ rub recipe page – I like the second one personally. Double the quantities of each ingredient for these ribs though – there’s a lot of surface area to cover with 4 racks of ribs.
Also Amazon has an amazing selection of ready made BBQ rubs
Other Ingredients for this Barbeque Pork Ribs Recipe
1 pint of cider vinegar – or try cider, apple juice, or white wine vinegar.
4 racks of pork ribs
Barbecue sauce, whatever your preference. >Amazon also has a big selection of ready made BBQ sauces
Method for Making Barbeque Pork Ribs
The day before make the BBQ rub. Grab a wide bowl and pour the cider vinegar (or apple juice, etc). Dunk the pork ribs in this and then coat each with the BBQ dry rub. Put the ribs in the refrigerator overnight.
Next day, get the ribs out and let them warm to room temperature.
Light your BBQ smoker (or covered grill), choose your barbeque wood or BBQ wood chips. Which wood you choose depends where you come from or what is available locally, I guess – take a look at our BBQ wood page for more info – apple is a good choice.
Wood chips of every imaginable kind are available on Amazon.com I use good quality lumpwood charcoal along with the logs I saved after I cut down an old apple tree in my garden a couple of years ago.
When the temperature of the barbecue reaches 250F (125C) it is ready – stick the ribs in and shut the lid for at least 4 hours – don’t open it at all, except to replenish the charcoal!
I’m not sure if it matters which way up the ribs go, some say to lay them with the ends of the ribs facing down.
Periodically add more wood and/or charcoal and adjust the vents increase or decrease the air flow – but keep the temperature of the cooking chamber constant as much as possible.
Make a BBQ sauce while you wait or grab a brand sauce.
Final 30 Minutes of Cooking Your Barbeque Pork Ribs
After 4 hours the ribs can be considered ready – you can wait longer if you want. At this point get about half the BBQ sauce recipe you made, heat it up on the hob, and brush or mop it thickly on to the pork ribs.
This serves to glaze the meat and add yet another layer of flavor. Put the ribs back in the barbecue for another 30 minutes.
When they’re ready cut them up by slicing them as cleanly as you can between the rib bones. Each rack worth of ribs should be enough for two healthy appetites, depending on how much other food is on offer.
Coleslaw , red slaw or potato salad always go down well as a side. Heat up the remaining BBQ sauce and serve it as a side as well.
Recommended Further Reading Related to BBQ Ribs Recipes
If you have a grill with a lid, you can learn to use it as a BBQ smoker, have a look at these pages – Indirect grilling – BBQ smoker box – BBQ wood