OT: Grillmasters, How do you marinate and grill your ribs?

[Kitaman]

I love to grill ribs (on charcoal) and they taste pretty good. I think the sauce though is masking the true taste, meaning I probably could cook them better.

Some of you I know can grill some mean pork ribs. The pressure is on me Monday as I got a few peeps coming over to the house. I'd like to try something better than boiling them, sitting in sauce (marinating), seasoning and chilling before grilling.

What BBQ Sauce you use and rub?

I'll entertain chicken and steak grilling recipes also as those are on deck Monday too.

 

[pepband99]

BOILING RIBS!!??!! Who are you, some commie like @August_West ?

Do yourself a favor and pick up a book from Steven Raichlen. He has a small rib-only cookbook that has proven useful in my house. My go-to is the maple recipe or the mint julep ones.

 

[August_West]

BOILING RIBS!!??!! Who are you, some commie like @August_West ?

Do yourself a favor and pick up a book from Steven Raichlen. He has a small rib-only cookbook that has proven useful in my house. My go-to is the maple recipe or the mint julep ones.

I may be a Commie but I'd never boil ribs even with a gun to my head.

 

[August_West]

Op

This instruction set is the basis to your entry in a whole new world of ribs.

amazingribs.com

 

[August_West]

I prefer doing St. Louis cut spare ribs, but did some baby backs yesterday. This is 5 hours in , just sauced for first time about 30 min to go.
. Did 3 racks ( there is a rack underneath the two) was supposed to wrap and bring to cook out today ( just reheat on grill for couple minutes) but I ate a rack last night.

 

[storrsroars]

First off, be sure to remove the membrane on the underside. I'm always surprised how few people do that.

I'm mostly no sauce these days, except maybe for dipping and then it's more vinegar-based. Eventually learned that ribs really don't need to be sauced at the end of cooking if you've got a decent rub. My standard rub is espresso, dark chile powder with some garlic, minced onion and black pepper which gets applied no more than 2 hours ahead of putting on the grill and sometimes only one hour.

I "smoke" on a gas grill with apple wood or mesquite at 250-260F, ideally for 6 hours, but I've had success with as little as 2.5 hours at a shade over 300F - a little less tender, but more than acceptable. I don't like "fall off the bone" texture - a little resistance is good in my book.

 

[tomtom80]

This rib recipe never fails- all ages love me every time I serve me

1. Costco ribs. Full racks great price
2. A day before cooking ribs, dry rub and let marinate in the fridge . Dry rub recipes vary but most have the same basic ingredients cumin paprika garlic onion powder black pepper salt chilling powder brown sugar and cayenne ( depending on desired heat). Go to food network for basics.
3. Place ribs in deep foil pans . One rib package from Costco I use 2 pans with 3 half racks per.
4. Here is the magic. Pour liquid in pan so there is about a half inch worth. I have used apple juice root beer or beer as my choices. Best ribs I've done with a good coffee stout. Seal the pan TIGHT WITH FOIL and bake in oven for 3.5 to 4 hours at 325f. The ribs bake and steam in the liquid making them super tender. You can be creative here too. I have added sliced apples, onions, celery and brown sugar. But my COFFEE STOUT has been the most popular
5. Take out of oven an remove foil and let them sit 20 min
6. Rub BBQ. sauce on and grill on super hot charcoals. This is just to put a bark on them. They were fully cooked when they came out of oven
7. ENJOY!!

 

[jibsey]

I prefer doing St. Louis cut spare ribs, but did some baby backs yesterday. This is 5 hours in , just sauced for first time about 30 min to go.
. Did 3 racks ( there is a rack underneath the two) was supposed to wrap and bring to cook out today ( just reheat on grill for couple minutes) but I ate a rack last night.

Those look really good. Save me some for my sandwich,

 

[CTMike]

Op

This instruction set is the basis to your entry in a whole new world of ribs.

amazingribs.com

First time I did ribs I used the rub/techniques from this site and knocked it right out of the park. Some of the best ribs I ever had.

Btw Augie - did you pick up Meathead's new cookbook yet?

 

[Bliss]

I use an electric smoker with hickory and apple wood chunks for St. Louis-style ribs. Marinate in soy sauce-water combo overnight. Dry the ribs the next morning, rub them with a combo of brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Spritz with apple cider-water combo to keep moist, place in foil-lined pan (long pieces placed in both directions) used for eventual wrapping, smoke for 3-4 hours at 250-275 degrees, brush on Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ sauce, fold over foil already in pan and let cook for another 30 minutes.

 

[Uconn93]

I'm doing 6 racks tomorrow in my Big Green Egg smoker. 3 racks of baby back and 3 racks of spareribs. I got them at Costco which has worked fine for me in the past.

1. Peel the membrane on the spare ribs.
2. Coat the ribs in a thin layer of yellow mustard. This helps the dry rub stick to the ribs. The mustard burns off and does not effect the taste.
3. Generous coating of dry rub (recipe withheld)
4. Wrap in saran wrap and foil and let them rest overnight in the fridge
5. Next morning, fire up the egg and include smoke chips.
6. Cook for about 3- 3/12 hours at 235-250
7. Drink cold beer (the colder the better-I'm on a Stella kick the last couple of months)
8. Add apple juice to the drip tin under the ribs. Tent tightly with foil. Continue cooking for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
9. Drink more cold beer
10. Sauce the ribs. Leave the ribs on the smoker for about 30 min so sauce begins to carmelize.
11. Time for another beer
12. Serve ribs

 

[August_West]

I'm doing 6 racks tomorrow in my Big Green Egg smoker. 3 racks of baby back and 3 racks of spareribs. I got them at Costco which has worked fine for me in the past.

1. Peel the membrane on the spare ribs.
2. Coat the ribs in a thin layer of yellow mustard. This helps the dry rub stick to the ribs. The mustard burns off and does not effect the taste.
3. Generous coating of dry rub (recipe withheld)
4. Wrap in saran wrap and foil and let them rest overnight in the fridge
5. Next morning, fire up the egg and include smoke chips.
6. Cook for about 3- 3/12 hours at 235-250
7. Drink cold beer (the colder the better-I'm on a Stella kick the last couple of months)
8. Add apple juice to the drip tin under the ribs. Tent tightly with foil. Continue cooking for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
9. Drink more cold beer
10. Sauce the ribs. Leave the ribs on the smoker for about 30 min so sauce begins to carmelize.
11. Time for another beer
12. Serve ribs

This guy gets it

 

[August_West]

First time I did ribs I used the rub/techniques from this site and knocked it right out of the park. Some of the best ribs I ever had.

Btw Augie - did you pick up Meathead's new cookbook yet?

I didn't. He's great. His guides are the best out there for people trying to learn how to cook out properly. Wish it was around when I started woulda saved me a Ton of time and money. These days at places where people ask how to do something I just point them to meathead.

 

[pepband99]

Op

This instruction set is the basis to your entry in a whole new world of ribs.

amazingribs.com

hey @Excalibur , check out the smoke ring!

 

[tomtom80]

I'm doing 6 racks tomorrow in my Big Green Egg smoker. 3 racks of baby back and 3 racks of spareribs. I got them at Costco which has worked fine for me in the past.

1. Peel the membrane on the spare ribs.
2. Coat the ribs in a thin layer of yellow mustard. This helps the dry rub stick to the ribs. The mustard burns off and does not effect the taste.
3. Generous coating of dry rub (recipe withheld)
4. Wrap in saran wrap and foil and let them rest overnight in the fridge
5. Next morning, fire up the egg and include smoke chips.
6. Cook for about 3- 3/12 hours at 235-250
7. Drink cold beer (the colder the better-I'm on a Stella kick the last couple of months)
8. Add apple juice to the drip tin under the ribs. Tent tightly with foil. Continue cooking for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
9. Drink more cold beer
10. Sauce the ribs. Leave the ribs on the smoker for about 30 min so sauce begins to carmelize.
11. Time for another beer
12. Serve ribs

Drink more beer is the key !

 

[Chin Diesel]

I've had some good experiences using beer as a marinade over night. I've used some apricot and peach beers which give the rub and sauce a subtle flavor kick at the end.

If you are in to sauces, for me it comes down to this. Do you have ribbons and trophies on your mantle for your rib sauce? If the answer is no, go to the store and buy Sweet Baby Ray's Original sauce.

As for rubs, be generous. Coat it thoroughly and wrap it snugly overnight.

And remember to remove the membrane.

 

[JMick]

Italian dressing & a few tsp of soy sauce. Also works well for grilled chicken wings.

 

[storrsroars]

Since nobody's addressed the steak/chicken part of the OP, I'll go...

I'm too stubborn/manly/stupid to use a probe thermometer, but I will use a ruler (besides, poking a steak and letting the juices run out is poor form).

My guide to steak is to let it come to room temp. Fire up the grill to 450-500F. Oil the grates. Do a 1 minute sear on each side of the steak on high heat. Then turn the heat to medium-low and grill 4 minutes per side for the first inch of thickness, with 30 seconds more for each incremental 1/4". So a 2" thick ribeye would be 6 minutes per side, plus the two minutes of sear. Then let it rest for 10 minutes minimum. I don't recall where I got that from but it's served me well. Wasn't Raichlen.

Yes, that's rare.

Flank/skirt steaks are a different animal requiring an acidic (usually lime/tequila-based in my house) marinade. Very short cooking time, no sear, no more than 4 minutes per side at 400f, then move to a cooler part of the grill for another 2 minutes per side. 10-15 minutes rest before slicing on the bias.

Regarding chicken I only grill bone-in thighs with skin, brushed with olive oil, herbs tucked under the skin and liberal S&P all over. Due to all the dripping fat I generally get a lot of out of control flame if I cook with a closed lid. So thighs I do by feel. It's too complicated to explain otherwise but it involves a lot of moving the thighs around with tongs while the other hand is putting out the flames, until it looks done. But it's always juicy.

 

[CTMike]

My moms skirt steak marinade - probably my favorite steak.

1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Worcestershire

 

[CTMike]

Chicken marinade - lemon juice, olive oil, a lot of parsley and garlic...salt and pepper...Blitz it in a blender and marinade.

 

[Kmoney]

A lot of good suggestions in this thread. Here are a few things I would add to make perfect ribs.

1. Buy ribs that have the paper like membrane removed. It is on the bone side and will prevent any rub or marinade from actually getting to the meat. You can remove the membrane yourself, but it can be tedious. Try using some pliers.

2. I am from the North but live in the South. The first time I saw ribs with a mustard based sauce on them I almost puked. I literally would not touch them. Recently I got the courage to try Sweet Baby Rays mustard base sauce and now it is my primary sauce for butts and ribs.

3. Do not over cook ribs. There is a thin line between done and tough ribs.

4. The best recipe I've used for ribs is on the traeger grills website. It is called 3-2-1 ribs. It is a 6 hour recipe that will work on any grill or smoker.

 

[temery]

Lightly score the meat against the grain before marinating. Skirt and flank steak are two of my favorites.

My moms skirt steak marinade - probably my favorite steak.

1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Worcestershire

 

[intlzncster]

Good ribs just need a dry rub. No marinating. Then a nice long smoke. Can't beat it.

 

[auror]

Point of clarity for people. Marinades that include salt are not marinades, but brines. Marinades don't penetrate much into the meat to tenderize, but obviously can be used or turned into a sauce. Brines are much preferrable. Do brines. (Can be dry). Website has been linked before but this is the research: amazingribs.com

 

[CAHUSKY]

Since nobody's addressed the steak/chicken part of the OP, I'll go...

I'm too stubborn/manly/stupid to use a probe thermometer, but I will use a ruler (besides, poking a steak and letting the juices run out is poor form).

Just plain stupid. I used to do some catering and still regularly host 25-50pp BBQ parties at home and the only way to be sure your steaks, roasts, chicken, etc are perfectly cooked is with a thermometer. I use an awesome $90 Thermapen. If you want to be absolutely sure your protein is cooked perfectly every time...........get a thermometer.


PS. What the heck do you do with a ruler?