Solution: While the indirect method needed some refinement, we were convinced it is the best way to cook ribs at home. It came closest to replicating the method used by barbecue pit masters. One way in which we fine-tuned our technique was to turn the ribs every half hour for the even melting of the fat as well as even cooking. This produced good ribs, but they were not quite as moist and tender as some restaurant ribs. We discovered that wrapping the ribs when they come off the grill and placing them for an hour in a brown paper bag to trap any escaping steam markedly improved the texture. The wrapped ribs literally fell off the bone. In fact, ribs cooked this way are so flavorful and tender that we consider sauce optional.

For Good Measure: Signs of doneness include the meat starting to pull away from the ribs (if you grab one end of an individual rib bone and twist it, the bone will actually turn a bit and separate from the meat) and a distinct rosy glow on the exterior. Since the ribs require a relatively short cooking time, there is no need to replenish the coals. A fire that starts out at 350 degrees will drop back to around 250 degrees by the end of two hours.

AUTHENTIC BARBECUED RIBS

Count on about four hours, from start to finish, for this process. Assemble the following:

A covered kettle grill. Although it doesn’t have to be a "kettle" grill, a covered grill is a necessity for this process.

Charcoal briquettes. For purposes of consistency, all cooking was done over premium-quality charcoal briquettes; if you prefer lump, natural charcoal, by all means use it, although it may affect cooking times slightly.

Hickory smoking chips. Hickory is absolutely the favored type of wood—use other types at your own risk.

Two slabs of pork spareribs, about 6 pounds total (serves about 4).

Your favorite dry rub (see "Dry Rubs," below).

Your favorite barbecue sauce (below).

Aluminum foil (extra-wide, heavy-duty, if you have it on hand).

A large brown paper bag.

1. Pick your ribs. Strangely, there’s not much disagreement here: Aficionados from all quarters seem to agree it’s the old-fashioned spareribs you want — not the baby back ribs, not the country-style ribs, just the plain old, under-three-pounds pork spareribs, in one big slab. (When I brought up the fact that other types of ribs were meatier, one knowledgeable friend quickly said, "But I don’t want my ribs meaty.") If there is a large amount of extraneous fat on the ribs, trim it before cooking. The amount of fat trimmed from ribs varies, somewhat mysteriously, from one part of the country to another.

2. At least an hour before cooking the ribs, concoct the dry rub (see "Dry Rubs," below) and rub a generous amount (a scant three tablespoons) onto each side of the ribs. The ribs can sit at room temperature for up to an hour; wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate if you plan to hold them any longer that. An hour is plenty of time for the dry rub to flavor the ribs. If you want the meat more intensely flavored, this step can be done the night before you plan on cooking.

3. Start with a grill that’s free of any leftover ashes or coals. Light forty or so charcoal briquettes (if you’re using one of those metal chimney starters, fill it approximately two-thirds full). Push all the coals to one side of the fire grate, arranged in a mound two or three briquettes high. Keep the bottom vents of the grill completely open. The coals will be just right when they are covered in a light gray ash. Meanwhile, wrap two large handfuls (about two cups) of hickory smoking chips in foil. Poke small holes in the top of the foil packet with a fork. Contrary to popular practice, there’s no real benefit to be had by soaking the chips first. Note: Some folks swear by having a source of moisture inside the grill, most often an aluminum pan of water shoved up next to the coals. As much as this sounded like a good idea and seemed to make culinary sense, no discernible difference was noted each time it was tried. But since it doesn’t hurt, feel free to employ it, if desired.

4. Once the coals are ready, lay the foil-wrapped smoking chips on top of the charcoal. Put the cooking grate in place. Position the ribs on the cooking grate opposite the fire; on a twenty-two-inch kettle grill, you should be able to cook two full slabs of ribs, side by side, at one time. Put the lid on the grill, with the top vents two-thirds of the way open, directly over the ribs. This will help draw the heat and hickory smoke past the ribs. Initially, the heat inside the grill will probably hover around 350 degrees. Over the two-hour cooking period, it will drop a hundred degrees or so — all of which falls into the acceptable slow-cooking range.

5. Turn the ribs every thirty minutes for a total cooking time of two to three hours. There is no need to baste the ribs with anything, unless basting happens to be part of the way you learned how to cook ribs. In other words, basting doesn’t make much difference in the quality of the final product, but it doesn’t detract from the ribs, either. In all but the most extreme of weather conditions, the ribs will be done in two hours. In normal weather conditions (say, above 60 degrees) the coals will begin to lose some of their vigor toward the end of the cooking time. Don’t worry. They still produce enough heat to cook the ribs thoroughly.
In cold weather, prepare for a longer cooking time. Depending on just how cold it is, when you turn the ribs at the one and one-half hour point you’ll probably need to add an additional fifteen coals to keep the cooking temperature more or less constant. As a way of gauging how outside temperatures can affect cooking times, it took me four hours to cook the ribs in 17 degree weather.
Signs of doneness include the meat starting to pull away from the ribs (if you grab one end of an individual rib bone and twist it, the bone will actually turn a bit, separate from the meat) and a distinct rosy glow on the exterior.

6. If there is a secret to producing authentic barbecue-joint-style ribs at home, it is this step: Immediately after taking the ribs off the grill, completely wrap them in aluminum foil . Put the foil-wrapped ribs in a brown paper sack, and fold the sack over the ribs. Allow to rest at room temperature for one hour or more. Although it’s difficult to say exactly what happens inside that foil-wrapped, brown-paper-sacked package, whatever it is, is good. My unscientific guess is that the moist, enclosed heat allows some of the juices to return to the meat, further flavoring and tenderizing it.

7. Finally, heat up your favorite homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce, unwrap the ribs, swab on the sauce, chop into individual ribs, and then chomp. You may find yourself agreeing with a couple of folks in Kansas City on that cold and snowy night who had the temerity to suggest, "These ribs are so good, they don’t need no sauce!"

MASTER RECIPE FOR BARBECUE SAUCE

Makes 2­2 1/2 cups

4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce

Heat butter in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic; sauté until onions soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in next 6 ingredients; cook over medium heat to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and tomato sauce; bring to simmer. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Brush over ribs and serve. Serve additional sauce passed separately for those who want it.

KENTUCKY SMOKED BARBECUE SAUCE

Follow Master Recipe for Barbecue Sauce, making the following changes: Increase lemon juice to 1/4 cup; increase paprika to 2 teaspoons; add 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke with the lemon juice; dissolve 2 tablespoons firm-packed brown sugar in the vinegar and add with the tomato sauce.

LOUISIANA SWEET BARBECUE SAUCE

Follow Master Recipe for Barbecue Sauce, making the following changes: Increase vinegar to 6 tablespoons; dissolve 1 tablespoon firm-packed brown sugar in the vinegar. Add it along with 1/4 cup molasses and 2 tablespoons sweet sherry when you add the tomato sauce.

SPICY RIO GRANDE BARBECUE SAUCE

Follow Master Recipe for Barbecue Sauce, making the following changes: Increase garlic to 4 cloves; increase lemon juice to 1/4 cup; increase hot red pepper sauce to 1 teaspoon; add 1 can (7 ounces) diced mild green chiles along with the lemon juice. For an even hotter sauce, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

DRY RUBS
Dry rubs are made of a variety of dry seasonings and are meant to be rubbed into the meat before grilling. Because they will not burn (as will marinades that contain sugar, fruit, or tomato), dry rubs are the favored method for flavoring any food that requires a long cooking time on the grill, such as brisket of beef or pork spareribs.
It’s not unusual for years of experimentation to go into the creation of the "perfect" dry rub. Indeed, there are many annual competitions held across the country that award big prizes for the best barbecue chicken, ribs, or what-have-you, with the secret to success almost always in the rub. More often than not, dry rubs have a southwestern flair to them, with at least a hint of chili powder, cumin, or paprika.
You can create a wonderfully herby crust on grilled food by using a dry marinade or paste. This can be as simple as dusting with powdered herbs, such as ground black pepper, paprika, cayenne, or garlic powder, one layer over another, which is the method preferred by two of the winningest members of barbecue contests, the Schroeger brothers. Or it can involve a mortar and pestle, an electric spice grinder, or some other method of grinding the various dry ingredients into a uniform mixture. Some aficionados add a tablespoon of oil to a mixture of herbs and flavorings and vigorously rub the paste into the food.
There’s something about creating a dry rub that brings out the alchemist in even the most levelheaded of cooks. Faced with a long list of potential ingredients and infinite variations, most adults are immediately transported back to being a kid with their first chemistry set. While there are no hard-and-fast rules regarding the makeup of a dry rub, the following recipe will at least give you an idea of the proportions. After that, you're on your own. Don't be afraid to experiment -- the perfect rub may be just a teaspoon of paprika away.

Barbecue-Style Dry Rub
This dry rub is a fairly traditional combination of flavors. Feel free to adjust amounts, or to add or subtract ingredients. To prepare the rub, simply mix all ingredients together. This rub yields about one and one-half cups -- enough to coat about four slabs. Store leftover rub in an airtight jar or in the freezer.

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon ground oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons celery salt
3 tablespoons garlic powder

July, 1994
Original article and recipes by Cort Sinnes

 
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