Everyone, other than vegans and vegetarians, loves a good rack of pork ribs that have been cooked to perfection. The trouble is, how does one achieve this on the barbecue without making them tough and dried out? Unlike the typical grilling of steaks and chops, ribs need low temperatures in a moist environment for a long period of time to become tender and juicy. Outdoor gas grills and charcoal barbecues, however, never produce moist heat, and this is where you, the home chef, come in. As the ribs are cooking, a wet liquid called a "mopping solution" will need to be applied to the ribs regularly as they cook. I make a simple mopping solution by combining one-half cup of beer, one-half cup of vinegar, four chopped garlic cloves, a few slices of onion and a tablespoon of dry meat spice rub. This is enough mopping liquid for two racks of ribs and can be easily applied with a basting brush.
You will be cooking the ribs over indirect heat, so purchase only enough racks of ribs that will fit on your grill/barbecue in this manner. Indirect heat means that there will be a heat source not directly under where the ribs will be.
On a gas grill this would be achieved by having the lid down and keeping one or more burners on, but placing the ribs over the one or more burners that will stay off. On a charcoal grill this would mean using a heat deflector.
Decide on a good dry meat rub (spice mix) or make one yourself - there are tons of recipes available online. Coat both sides of your racks of ribs with this spice rub.
Preheat your grill/barbecue to approximately 275 to 300 F. You are going to need to be able to maintain this temperature for three to three-and-a-half hours with the lid down. Firstly place the spice-coated ribs bone side down and cook indirectly for one-half hour. Lift the lid and "mop" the tops of the ribs, then close the lid and cook for another half hour before mopping again.
Basically you are going to generously mop the ribs every half-hour, cooking with the lid closed in between these times and maintaining the suggested temperature. Once you hit the three-hour mark, lift the lid and coat the tops with your favorite sauce. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes, then sauce again, cook another 10 minutes, sauce once more, and then a final 10 more minutes.
Carefully remove the cooked tender ribs and let them sit for five to 10 minutes before serving. These cooked ribs won't be as tender and delicate as ribs that are braised in liquid in the oven, but they will definitely have a more "flame-licked" taste.
Charcoal grills are great for adding real barbecue flavor, while gas grills tend to be lacking in this department. Buying a smoker box designed for your gas grill with soaked wood smoking chips will help to improve this. I recommend soaking your wood chips for at least one hour before draining and using. Smoker boxes and wood chips can usually be found at local department stores, hardware stores, barbecue shops, or gourmet food stores. I have even seen them offered at some butcher shops.
The cooking times and temperatures mentioned in this column are approximate and will depend upon the quality of grill or barbecue you are using and the accuracy of your grill thermometer. What you are trying to achieve is a slow cooked internal meat temperature of 190 to 205 F before resting and serving. A good instant read thermometer will help you accomplish this.
Happy cooking! Send your food/cooking questions to dez@chefdez. com.
