Rib tips are inexpensive pieces of meat that have been trimmed off of spareribs, usually at the chine bone. Rib tips are very meaty and have a lot of fat running throughout. After the fat has been rendered out through the long smoking process, the remaining meat is succulent, juicy, flavorful and tender. When properly cooked, rib tips are a wonderful finger food or appetizer.
YIELD: 10 SERVINGS • COOK TIME: 5 HOURS
10 lb (5 kg) rib tips
2 cups (400 g) your favorite barbecue rub
Hickory wood chunks
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Have your butcher reserve 10 pounds (5 kg) of rib tips. Season all sides of the rib tips with your favorite barbecue rub.
Preheat your grill/smoker to 200 to 220°F (93 to 104°C) indirect with hickory wood chunks. Add more charcoal and hickory chunks every hour as needed. Keep the internal temperature of the grill at 200 to 225°F (93 to 107°C).
Place the ribs bone-side down but not directly over the hot coals. After 3 hours, remove the ribs from the grill and wrap them in aluminum foil. Hold them in the covered grill at 180 to 200°F (82 to 93°C) for 1½ to 2 hours, or until fork tender.
Build a real hot bed of coals over the entire bottom of the grill. Remove the ribs from the foil and place them back on the grill to add a char flavor. When the meat becomes bubbly, it is done, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Make sure to char off the bone-side membrane until it becomes papery and disintegrates. Then, slather the meat with BBQ sauce and let the heat caramelize the sauce. This caramelizing, along with the charring and slow cooking, is the secret to tender smoky ribs.
Using a cleaver and butcher block, chop the rib tips into bite-size pieces and serve warm.