Babyback Ribs advice

johnrezz

I have a 2.6lb rack of baby back ribs. In the past on my, (I hate to even say it "gas grill" cough,cough)
I would simply dry rub with my pork rub, put them on the top rack at the lowest temp and cook indirect for 1 hour add bbq sauce at the end let stand for 10min and eat.. They really came out great, but I want better, hence the reason for the BGE......

So I have seen several ways of cooking but I am not sure what will yield the best results. I am going to dry rub as usual but I do not know how long to cook them, I have seen everything from 1-1.5 at 300-350 up to 4 hours at 250, wrap in foil and cook another 2 hours. Of course I do not want to over cook so I turn to the BGE experts, what do I do?????

John

Richard Fl

Here are a few ideas I use.

Pork, Baby Back, Richard Fl

Proceedure:
1 I like to set the large BGE, for baby backs, indirect, plate setter, legs up, drip pan w/water, 1 inch deep, "V" rack inverted. 250F apple wood and pecan chips both dry wood. Let cook 3 hours and then every 1/2 hour or so, sprayed w/ 6 parts apple juice and 1 part apple cider vinegar. After 4 hours lightly covered w/ bbq sauce diluted 2-1 w/water just for some flavor.
2 Figured out a few years back that foil was just to messy for my tastes, but will use it sometimes. Sometimes I will use orange juice and bbq sauce to keep moist, but you got to like sweet for this one. Will pull about 5 1/2-6 hours and cover w/foil on counter until ready to eat a few hours latter. Serve with whatever sauce each likes.
3 As a senior citizen, most of our friends are past the hot spicy phase in life, save that for Chubby and his crew. Usually rub with a mixture of 2 parts crushed red pepper fine, 1 part fine salt and 1 part fine black pepper and into refrigerator.
Update: 2007/08/25:
1 I like to rub them the night before with whatever rub I am in the mood for. Set up large, indirect with a drip pan of water at 250F with a vertical holder. Cut 3-4 slabs in half and set in the rack. After about 3 hours spritz with orange juice when in a sweet mood, Soy and water when in an oriental one, apple juice and water or worchestershire when in a different mood. Spritz every 30 minutes or so. I do not remove and wrap in foil as many do, just decided a few years back that it was to much hassle, probably too messy. Sometimes I will sauce the last 45 minutes and some times will just take off after 5-6 hours and let everyone sauce themselves. Some like hot sauce, vinegar, or mustard etc. Depending on the crowd.


Recipe Type
Main Dish, Meat

Recipe Source
Source: BGE Forum, Richard Fl, 2007/05/27

Jersey Doug

John,

I'm trying to figure this one out myself. I can tell you one thing NOT to do. Yesterday I did a rack of baby backs direct at 325º with the grate up in the dome of the small on GrateMates. I did them for 30 minutes bone side down, then turned them for 30 minutes on the second side. There was heavy smoke pouring out of the egg the whole time. The ribs looked good and were nice and moist but they had a nasty acrid taste from the burning fat on the fire.

I used to do just what you describe on my gas grill and the results were pretty good. I'll be interested to see what the experts have to say.

--Doug

WV Mike

You'll probably get 10 different opinions.

The way I do mine is remove the membrane from the back and put my rub on. I let them sit for 15 or 20 minutes and slather them with plain old french's mustard. Then I wrap in cellophane and put in the fridge for an hour or two.

Set the BGE for 325-350 indirect ( I use a plate setter with a drip pan under the ribs) and put the ribs in a rack above the plate setter. I generally use a couple decent sized pieces of either hickory or oak for smoke.

Let her go for about 3 hours and there you go. I happen to think BBQ sauce ruins a good baby back, but to each his own.

Good luck with your ribs.

Mike

WV Mike

You'll probably get 10 different opinions.

The way I do mine is remove the membrane from the back and put my rub on. I let them sit for 15 or 20 minutes and slather them with plain old french's mustard. Then I wrap in cellophane and put in the fridge for an hour or two.

Set the BGE for 325-350 indirect ( I use a plate setter with a drip pan under the ribs) and put the ribs in a rack above the plate setter. I generally use a couple decent sized pieces of either hickory or oak for smoke.

Let her go for about 3 hours and there you go. I happen to think BBQ sauce ruins a good baby back, but to each his own.

Good luck with your ribs.

Mike

johnrezz

I do remove the membrane and than I rub them with a combo of Chili Pepper/cumin/paprika/Garlic powder/ black pepper/ and a dash of kosher salt.

I have never tried using mustard.

I was thinking low and slow so If I do the 250 dome temp how long should I let them cook?

Anything lower is hard to maintain since I am at 7000 ft.

John
Steamboat Springs, Co.

Conundrum

I set up for direct at 225 - 250 for about 4 hours. I remove the membrane rub with a paste that there is a recepie for somewhere on the forum a few hours in advance. Did 6 slabs yesterday in rack and people are still fighting over the left overs today.

The paste is a combo of mustard seeds, juniper berries, garlic chipolte powder and lots of other stuff. I'll see if I can find it - it's awesome.

Conundrum

Baby back ribs
Description: The best thing that ever happened to a baby back.
Ingredients: • 3 fat garlic cloves, peeled • 3 Tbscider vinegar
• 1 Tbs kosher salt • 3 Tbspeanut oil
• 1 Tbs black mustard seeds* • 2 tspground hot pepper (I use chipotle*) - this will make the ribs spicy; add more or less to taste
• 12 juniper berries* • 3 slabs baby back ribs (1.5 to 2 lbs. each), membrane removed
• 1 Tbs coarsely ground black peppercorns
• 3 Tbs brown sugar

Instructions: The rub is best made with a stone mortar & pestle, but a small food processor can be used.
Mash the garlic and salt into a paste in the mortar. (The salt helps the garlic break down.)
Add the juniper berries and mustard seeds, crushing them as thoroughly as possible with the pestle.
Add remaining ingredients and stir well to blend.
*Available through spice catalogs such as Penzeys.

Work the rub into the ribs at least an hour before cooking. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. These don't need to sit overnight, but can be rubbed 3-4 hours in advance.
About 45 minutes before you plan to start cooking, place the ribs in the freezer (for maximum smoke penetration).
Cook according to your desired method. I do them over direct heat (with hickory and apple for smoke), dome temp of around 250, in a rib rack.
They usually take 3 to 3.5 hours. Midway through I rotate the rack, and flip the ribs if the end toward the coals is getting brown.
Let them sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

WV Mike

You'll probably get 10 different opinions.

The way I do mine is remove the membrane from the back and put my rub on. I let them sit for 15 or 20 minutes and slather them with plain old french's mustard. Then I wrap in cellophane and put in the fridge for an hour or two.

Set the BGE for 325-350 indirect ( I use a plate setter with a drip pan under the ribs) and put the ribs in a rack above the plate setter. I generally use a couple decent sized pieces of either hickory or oak for smoke.

Let her go for about 3 hours and there you go. I happen to think BBQ sauce ruins a good baby back, but to each his own.

Good luck with your ribs.

Mike

usc1321

John,
Here is a great place to start. Many here think these are some fine baby backs!
http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/06/baby-back-rib-class.html

NibbleMeThis

I like doing loin backs indirect at 250 dome temp using the 3-1-1 method (3 hrs uncovered, 1 hr wrapped in foil, and then finish up uncovered).

johnrezz

Jeff I think I am going to give yours a try....

I have never used mustard before and I already rubbed my ribs, do you think I should add mustard

John

usc1321

I am a big fan of the mustard. We have even not added BBQ sauce when we use use the mustard sometimes. Good luck and I hope they turn out well for you. I look forward to seeing some pictures.