How to BBQ Mom-Friendly Ribs

I grew up in Memphis, which means my appreciation for ribs is in my bone marrow. I spent many-a-summer sizzling at Memphis in May just to catch a sniff of the contestants’ entries in the annual barbecue rib contest.

Memphis’ Rendezvous serves up a great dry rib. Folks from Alabama will argue that Dreamland is the best. I prefer Rendezvous to Dreamland. I especially like eating at Rendezvous restaurant because they give you get a complimentary bowl of Red Beans and Rice and no matter how much you beg they will not give you the recipe.

My ribs are far from award-winning, but my husband and son love them and that’s all that really matters to me. Cooking ribs can be an involved process, but I’ve learned a few things that make them a bit more mom-friendly You’ll want to allow about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for cooking and resting and about 30 minutes for prepping.

Here’s my recipe and why Moms may prefer it:

I prefer St. Louis ribs. They cost more – much more – but you get what you pay for, right? Baby backs are my second choice. The spare ribs are just too … eh.

Rub your ribs. You can do store bought brand according to your taste, or make your own. Mine is fab, if I do say so myself. I’m one of those palm-measurers, but I think this is how my rub would measure out:

• 4Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon White Pepper
• ½ Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Pepper

We like a lot of spice, so we use a whole recipe of rub per slab, but that’s a bit much for the average person. Once you have your slab perfectly slathered, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. If you’re not ready to cook, store them in the fridge. Take them out and let them rest on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour before you’re ready to start cooking.

Meantime, preheat the grill. Some fanatics will argue that one should use a charcoal grill and maybe add chunks of hickory or mesquite. But if you’re chasing around a kid or four then you have little time to nurse a fire. So I use gas. You’ll want to turn on all burners and let the grill heat to about medium, or 350, if you have a temperature gauge. When the grill is ready, turn off the burners on one side. (The temperature will drop during the cooking process so don’t be alarmed.)

Keep the ribs sealed tight in the foil. This is another piece of mom-friendly advice. You can sit by the grill and baste the ribs in a mixture of melted butter, vinegar and lemon juice every 30 minutes or so (which is how my FIL made his fabulous ribs), or you can wrap them in foil and allow them to baste themselves, which is what I do.

Place the rib-foil packs on the side of the grill with the burners turned off, and close the lid. Let the ribs cook in this indirect heat for an hour, opening the lid only if you have to.

After an hour, take the ribs out of the foil packet and place them directly on the “off” side of the grill. Let them cook another hour or so. You know they’re ready when the meat is tender and starts to pull away from the bone. (It may start to pull away before you take the ribs out of the foil.) That charring is from the brown sugar so don’t freak.

When they’re done, place the ribs in a casserole dish or baking sheet. Completely cover with heavy-duty foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in a 200-degree oven until you’re ready to serve them.

If you want to glisten them with barbecue sauce, then do so no. Place them on the grill and paint with sauce. Or, just serve the sauce on the side. We’re a sans-sauce family now, though. And it’s somewhat easier on the child-cleanup side.

Enjoy!

Photos, JWJourney