The Basics Of Cooking BBQ Ribs

To cook up great ribs, first you will need to peel the papery membrane off the back of the rack of ribs. It’s a little tricky if you’re not sure what you are looking for, but all over the surface of the back of the ribs there a this thin membrane. You can use a tine of a fork or something similar to seperate the membrane, and then just peel it off.

Next thing is to rinse the ribs with cold water and dry with a paper towel. Then put the ribs in a large baking dish. Put in enough apple cider to cover the ribs. Let it marinade for at least 3 hours, up to 24 hours.

setup your grill for indirect cooking (if you have charcoal then put 1 small pile of lit coals on one side of the grill, place a 2nd pile of lit coals on the opposite end). If you have a 2+ burner gas grill then just light one of the burners. The goal is to have it so the ribs don’t cook directly over the coals (or burner)

Place the ribs on the grill (not over the coals or burner) Every 1/2 hour or so spray the ribs down with apple cider to keep them nice and moist. The ribs will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook. during the last 1/2 hour baste the ribs heavily with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Once your done do a final basting. (I often see people start out by putting BBQ sauce on the ribs before cooking, then they wonder why the ribs come out burnt really fast. It’s because the sugar in the BBQ burns, not the ribs)

You will know the ribs are done when the meat peels back from the bone about 1/4 inch.

You can also use wood smoke and smoke the ribs while you are grilling. I always use hickory.

The above is pretty darn basic, but should net you some tasty KC style ribs with a good consistancy.

Sometimes during the last 1/2 when I put BBQ sauce on, I then wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and let then finish in there. That will keep the ribs really moist (but not too moist)