Every backyard cook needs to know the proper way to prepare a great rack of ribs. Learn this workflow from a championship cook, and you’ll turn out winning ribs each and every time.
YIELD: 8–10 SERVINGS • COOK TIME: 5½–6 HOURS
4 racks of spare ribs
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (400 g) favorite rub (Big Ugly team prefers BBQ Bob’s Hav’n a BBQ, Alpha Rub)
Apple or cherry smoke wood
1 cup (230 g) low-salt butter
2 cups (473 ml) honey
2 cups (400 g) brown sugar
2 cups (480 ml) barbecue sauce (BBQ Bob’s Hav’n a BBQ sauce is a good choice here)
Set the grill/cooker/smoker up for the indirect method and let the temperature stabilize at 250°F (121°C).
Trim the ribs St. Louis style. Try to keep ten bones on the rack. Using a sharp knife, remove any loose fat from the surface of the ribs, along with anything that does not look pleasing.
Flip the rack over and remove the piece of meat and the long, thin membrane from the back of the ribs. Using a knife, pry the membrane up from one bone. Then, using a paper towel, grip the section of membrane you pried up between your thumb and finger, and pull the entire membrane away from the ribs. The paper towel helps provide a better grip and makes it easier to remove the membrane. Removing the membrane allows flavors from the rub to get into the underside of the rack.
Apply a light coating of olive oil to both sides of the ribs. Starting with the underside, apply a light-to-medium coat of the rub. Flipping the ribs over, apply a medium coat to the topside and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Once the cooker is heated up, add your favorite smoking wood, such as apple or cherry. When the ribs have rested for about 15 minutes, place them on the smoker, generally where the temperature is most constant. You need to know your cooker to know where the temperature is consistent.
Let the cooker do its thing for 3 hours. IF YOU’RE LOOKIN’, YOU AIN’T COOKIN’! Walk away! Check to make sure the temperature is dialed in, but don’t open the cooking chamber unless you absolutely have to.
Three hours into the cook, you will have to open the door and rotate the ribs. Front to back, side to side, whatever works. This is also a good time to apply a light sprinkle of rub. Visually, you should be able to gauge the level of doneness by looking at the racks. The bones along the edge should be starting to show, and they should have some solid color to them.
About 2 hours after rotating, it’s time to wrap the ribs. Tear four sheets of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the ribs. Cut up ¼ cup (56 g) of butter into pieces for each rack. Place a few pieces of butter on the foil followed by a healthy squirt of honey, a handful of brown sugar and a healthy shake of rub. Place the rack of ribs on the foil and reverse the process: shake some rub, add some brown sugar, squirt some honey and then add some more butter to the top of the ribs.
This is also a good time to check the doneness of the ribs. Grab a toothpick and stick it into the meat between two bones. Stick the middle and each end. The toothpick should easily go in and come out with a little resistance, indicating that the rack only needs an hour or so of additional cooking.
Wrap the ribs tightly in the aluminum foil. Place the racks back on the cooker and continue to cook for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After an hour, remove the foiled ribs from the smoker. Unwrap the ribs and remove them from the foil. Remember, the liquid inside the foil will be HOT! Brush your favorite sauce onto the ribs and return them to the cooker long enough to set the sauce, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the sauced ribs from the cooker, slice into individual rib sections and plate with some extra sauce on the side.
OPERATION BBQ RELIEF IN ACTION
I got involved in OBR because I believe in the OBR mission—having active involvement and helping others in times of need. The values held by OBR are the same values that we all should have: honesty, compassion, friendship, hard work and respect. Right now, there is a real need for positive role models who help without thought of themselves, who act without hesitation, who are there in a time of need. OBR provides this every day, on every deployment.
—CHRIS HALL, Big Ugly’s BBQ