First cook - rib rub suggestions

nick50 · January 2017

Hi to all on this forum - and thanks for helping me make my mind up to buy an Egg!
Very excited that I'll be getting a Large BGE for my birthday at the end of the month. Now planning my first few cooks well in advance - want to do ribs first, followed by a spatchcock chicken and then move on to pizza...but first things first. Was going to try baby backs (or as I think we call them in the UK, pork loin ribs) using the 2-2-1 method. Thought I might do four racks on the BGE V-rack, but was thinking about doing two racks one way, and the other two another (to see which I liked best - not to mention the people I'm serving it to!). Is it good just to do ribs with a rub only (and no sauce) as I thought I'd try some just with a rub, and others with a rub and then coat with some sauce just before the end.

What is the best rub and sauce recipes you'd recommend (being in the UK, don't have access to a lot of the 'off the shelf' rubs which get mentioned on the forum, so I'll probably need to prepare my own.

Thanks for all your help - really looking forward to benefiting from the experience and tips here!!!

ColtsFan · January 2017

Welcome!

This thread may help with the rub question. that link has a lot of rub recipes. Memphis Dust is one that I personally like. http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1202666/homemade-rubs#latest

I'm split on saucing ribs. Sometimes I'll just serve up sauce on the side

Hans61 · January 2017

Welcome! After you get going a while you probably want to start making your own rubs. Until then commercial are good. Do you like sweet and spicy or more savory?

lousubcap · January 2017

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. Above all, have fun.
As you note, all rib cooks are some variation around X-0-0. Regarding sauce, I offer on the side and no worries with running only with the rub on some and a sauce on the others. Good plan right there.
To determine when they are finished use a toothpick and insert in the thickest meat-in and out with no resistance and finished. Also look for a good meat pull-back on the bones.

nick50 · January 2017

Great - thanks guys. Really helpful. I'll go with the rub on some and do a bit of sauce on the others then. I definitely like stuff on the more spicy/chilli side if there's any suggestions there

Hans61 · January 2017

Mixup Salt pepper chili powder paprika garlic powder onion powder and brown sugar dust it with some Cayanne pepper you'll have a nice sweet and spicy rub

fishlessman · January 2017

this was made for pulled pork but the sauce is good for ribs, make both sauces, i like both on ribs and let the guests add the sauce as they eat

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm

dont make the slaw, theres way too much sugar in that recipe

JustineCaseyFeldown · January 2017

fishlessman said:

this was made for pulled pork but the sauce is good for ribs, make both sauces, i like both on ribs and let the guests add the sauce as they eat

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm

this was my first real home made rub, and it supports a lot of variation and experimenting with whatever you have on hand,

i find for pork butt i go a bit stronger with everything, because there's so little of it per bit when you mix the PP together.

but for ribs, i dial back. not so aggressive with some of the spices that can be a little too out front sometimes. you get a lot of rub per bite of rib, so some subtlety works on occasion

nick50 · January 2017

Perfect - now I have the rub sorted and two sauces to serve on the side. First meal sorted, not to mention a few more after that. Thanks for all your help. I can't wait to fire up the Egg!!!!!

fishlessman · January 2017

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

fishlessman said:

this was made for pulled pork but the sauce is good for ribs, make both sauces, i like both on ribs and let the guests add the sauce as they eat

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm

this was my first real home made rub, and it supports a lot of variation and experimenting with whatever you have on hand,

i find for pork butt i go a bit stronger with everything, because there's so little of it per bit when you mix the PP together.

but for ribs, i dial back. not so aggressive with some of the spices that can be a little too out front sometimes. you get a lot of rub per bite of rib, so some subtlety works on occasion

if you tripled the brown sugar with that rub it would be great on ribs. i switched last summer to bad byrons which has no sugar and just mix it 50/50 now with the brown sugar. and thats exactly what you do with bad byrons, change that ratio for pulled pork, ribs, brisket etc, it changes the spice ratio

Billy Grill Eggster · January 2017

Dr BBQ Ribs:

Ingredients

3 Slabs of St. Louis-Style Ribs or Baby Back Ribs, cut in half, membrane off and washed
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
1 cup Big Time Barbecue rub (recipe follows)
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 cups your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions

About 30 minutes before they go in to the cooker mix the rub and the Turbinado sugar together and rub it on the ribs. Use about 2/3 on the meaty side and 1/3 on the boney side.

Much of his will depend on your equipment, but you should cook them slow with a little bit of hickory and cherry wood until they are nicely caramelized and looking great. About 325 degrees with an indirect setup would be a good target temperature. One to one and a half hours is a good time guideline for this step. Use a rib rack if you need it for space. Remove the ribs to a platter or sheet pan and brush them all on both sides with honey.

The next step is a tenderizing process. Put the ribs in an aluminum foil pan with a little apple juice in the bottom, about one inch. Stand them on end in the pan if you need to. Cover with foil and cook on low until tender. Again, 325 degrees and indirect would be a good target. If you have a hard time keeping your grill low, you’ll need to check that the apple juice doesn’t all cook off. Replenish it as needed. This step can even be done in the oven. The time for this step is one hour as a guideline; but again, this will vary depending on your equipment. Test the ribs by sticking them with a toothpick to see when they are soft and tender. (*At this point you could cool them down, wrap them separately and reheat later. This is a great way to take ribs to a tailgate party or to prepare ahead for a party at home.)

Transfer the cooked ribs to a medium hot grill. Brush with BBQ sauce and flip for a just a few minutes. Cut in to pieces and serve.

Yields 6 to 8 servings

Big Time BBQ Rub

Ingredients
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
1/4 cup granulated brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions
Combine all ingredients, mix well, and store in an airtight container.

Yields 1 1/2 cups

TideEggHead · January 2017

I haven't tried it on ribs and I'm not sure it's a good pairing but I do like mickey's coffee rub for steaks and butts among others! I also like Dr. bbq's #67 rub off the BGE website for ribs and such.

Coffee Rub (turkey, chicken, beef & pork)
Equal part: Instant Expresso Ground coffee
Equal part: Brown Sugar
½ part: Black Pepper
½ part: Kosher Salt
½ part: Garlic Powder
¾ part: Ancho Chili Powder
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First cook - rib rub suggestions

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