Cooking ribs

[maslex]

I've made ribs once in my life. Well, I didn't even really "cook" them since they were packaged ribs that were already sauced & cooked. I just had to throw them in the oven and heat them up. They weren't the greatest.

I would like to make something different for dinner and ribs came to mind. I know my boys like them but my husband does not. He says it's "too much work" to eat them. Plus he doesn't like to get dirty when eating.

I know there are different types of ribs out there (baby back, St. Louis, country, spare, etc) Can someone tell me which ones have the most meat/less fat on them? And which ones are tender? What about cooking them? A dry rub? Wet marinade? Grill? Oven?

What are your favorites?

 

[Skippy918]

I make baby back ribs with a dry rub (much easier than a wet rub) and cook them on the gas grill for about 90 mins on indirect medium. Then I brush with BBQ sauce (any kind will do) for the last few minutes. They come out tasty and tender.
If I had a smoker, I would put them in there, but the grill is fine.

 

[marlynnp]

I buy full rack pork ribs.
Remove the sheath on the back (bone side). Cut the rack in half. Use a dry rub and wrap each tightly in foil and place in a roasting pan - depending on how many, I layer or stack on sides. Refrigerate over night.
Next morning I toss the pan of wrapped ribs into the oven set at 275 and leave them in for 3-4 hours. When they are getting tender but not quite slipping the bones, I take them out of the oven; remove the foil; and then grill them with wet sauce for another half hour or so... until they're just ready to fall apart.

 

[dbramer]

I eat different types of ribs (both beef and pork). Spareribs, baby back ribs, country ribs, mostly. I like the country ribs, they are meaty, but greasy. I cook them low and slow in the oven (about 250 for 4 hours) covered with foil and basted in bbq sauce. Very tender and moist. If I am making spare ribs or baby back, I boil them with spices (garlic, celery salt, onion powder) for about two to three hours and let them rest until I am ready to grill them for about 20 mins after basting with bbq sauce. If I really feel like taking on a labor of love, I put them on the smoker for 5 hours or so at about 225 degrees (3 hours smoking, 2 hours wrapped tightly in foil with apple cider and apple cider vinegar, then 1 hour basted with bbq sauce). I dry rub them before I smoke them. I don't rub if I am baking or grilling. St. Louis refers to the preparation (usually a dry rub). Ribs are fantastic if you do them right, horrible if you don't. Can't go wrong with the boiling first then grilling. Fall off the bone tender....

 

[CowgirlMama]

I usually make ribs in my crockpot. I cut the ribs down the middle to make two racks, salt and pepper them to taste then I mix one can of coke and a bottle of bbq sauce together, pour over the ribs and cook on low for 7 hours. They are fall off the bone tender and so good!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

St. Louis refers to the preparation (usually a dry rub). Ribs are fantastic if you do them right, horrible if you don't. Can't go wrong with the boiling first then grilling. Fall off the bone tender....

St Louis is a pre-trimmed rib (spare rib IIRC).

I prefer to smoke mine with hickory, and then sauce them after they come off. My sauce (doctored Maull's) turns bitter if I put it on with the heavy smoke. Same sauce works fine with indirect charcoal heat for pork steaks.

 

[LBIJim]

I've made ribs once in my life. Well, I didn't even really "cook" them since they were packaged ribs that were already sauced & cooked. I just had to throw them in the oven and heat them up. They weren't the greatest.

I would like to make something different for dinner and ribs came to mind. I know my boys like them but my husband does not. He says it's "too much work" to eat them. Plus he doesn't like to get dirty when eating.

I know there are different types of ribs out there (baby back, St. Louis, country, spare, etc) Can someone tell me which ones have the most meat/less fat on them? And which ones are tender? What about cooking them? A dry rub? Wet marinade? Grill? Oven?

What are your favorites?

So what will DH eat? I'm like him, the taste of ribs is fine, but they're too messy and a hassle to eat.

 

[ronandannette]

So what will DH eat? I'm like him, the taste of ribs is fine, but they're too messy and a hassle to eat.

Low-n-slow with dry rub all the way, just kissed with sauce under the broiler for 5 minutes before serving. At that point you can daintily slip the succulent meat off the bones and plate it to be eaten with a knife (dinner, not butter) and fork (dinner, not salad). As long as your napkin is placed properly on your lap, there should be little risk of you disgracing yourself.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I make babyback ribs and I smoke them but you can do them in the oven too. 225 degrees for 5 hours. I rub liberally with my own recipe for dry rub and smoke 2 hours meat side up in the smoker. I smoke with applewood or cherry and with apple juice in the water pan. Then I wrap in foil meat side down with a splash of apple juice in each packet and smoke 2 hours. Then I unwrap, coat with BBQ sauce and put meat side up again for 1 more hour. You can do the exact same thing in the oven less the chips and water pan and they will still come out great.

 

[LBIJim]

Low-n-slow with dry rub all the way, just kissed with sauce under the broiler for 5 minutes before serving. At that point you can daintily slip the succulent meat off the bones and plate it to be eaten with a knife (dinner, not butter) and fork (dinner, not salad). As long as your napkin is placed properly on your lap, there should be little risk of you disgracing yourself.

OK....You've convinced me. I'm sure your ribs are excellent. And we're both at the A+ level with table manners. So I'll be crashing your place this coming Saturday at 6.

 

[ronandannette]

OK....You've convinced me. I'm sure your ribs are excellent. And we're both at the A+ level with table manners. So I'll be crashing your place this coming Saturday at 6.

Hmmm, showing up uninvited doesn't sound too polite but don't worry - as the consummate gracious hostess I will make you welcome. Presuming 225F for 5 hours, I'll need to be up before noon to throw the ribs in the oven.

Fun Fact: Did you know Carnival Cruise Lines has ribs on the menu on Formal Night?? Ever try to get sauce out of a pin-tucked white shirt?