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Ingredients
1 or more slabs of ribs (baby backs or
loin backs)
Kansas City BBQ Sauce
(follow link for recipe)
mesquite or hickory wood chips
charcoal briquettes (if you're
using a charcoal barbecue)
Dry Rub (recipe follows)
Dry Rub (makes
about 3 cups and stores well at room temperature)
3/4 cup firmly packed dark
brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup
paprika
1/4 cup
salt
1/4 cup
garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dry mustard
Directions
Dry Rub
Whisk together all ingredients
in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Preparing the Ribs
Rinse the ribs to remove any
bone chips possibly left behind by the butcher. Once clean,
remove the thin white membrane off the bone side of the
ribs. Inserting a butter knife under the edge of a section
of the
membrane will help you get started. Using a paper towel to
grab the slippery membrane will help. Once you have a hold of
the membrane, slowly pull the rest off. Sometimes it comes
off easily, and sometimes it takes a few extra stabs with
the butter knife. If desired, trim
off any large pieces of excess fat. Cutting the slabs in half makes
it easier to move the ribs around on the grill, and will
allow you to stack them during the cooking process, which
helps them retain moisture. Evenly sprinkle the rub over
both sides of the ribs.
Place charcoals on one side of
your grill and light the coals, leaving the other side of
the grill empty (with no coals). Allow to heat for about 1/2
hour to 45 minutes. After coals are hot, place an aluminum pan
of water on the other side of the grill. Fill the aluminum
pan with warm water. This makes a cooler area for
your ribs so they won't burn, and will help them retain their
moisture during the cooking process. When the temperature of
your grill reaches 225°F,
you're ready to start cooking. (It's okay if the temperature
fluctuates between 225 and 250°,
but 225°
is best.)
Add a few wood
chips to the coals (apple, hickory or maple, etc.). After about 1/2 hour of cooking, add a
few more wood chips, then in another half hour add some
more. After one hour, don't add any more wood chips, because
you don't want to over-smoke your ribs.
Place the ribs with the meaty
side up on the cool side of the barbecue. If you are cooking
a few slabs, then be prepared to move them closer to or away
from the hot coals as needed to ensure they all cook evenly.
Cooking time can vary from 3-5 hours, depending on the
amount, size and thickness of your ribs.
Depending on your preference,
you can apply the
barbecue sauce
throughout the entire cooking process (about every 1/2 hour
or so) or toward the end of the cooking process by placing
the ribs over the hot coals so the sauce can caramelize.
Tip: To keep your sauce warm, you can pour it into a small
disposable aluminum pan and place the pan on the grill with
the ribs (over the side without coals) if there is room.
When you think ribs might be
done, lift them with some tongs and gently shake up and
down. If they begin to tear or brake, they are done. (Your
goal should be to have tender ribs, but the meat should not
fall off the bone.)
If you have chosen to apply the
barbeque sauce at the end of the cooking process, this is
the time to apply it. Brush the sauce on to both sides of
your ribs, and move them over the hot coals. This will
caramelize the sauce. Turn the ribs over a few times, being
careful to only caramelize the sauce, not burn it. Remove
the ribs when the sauce reaches desired caramelization.
Leftover ribs microwave very nicely,
usually in less than a minute.
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