Grilled Ribs

Few foods steal the show at a summer cookout like perfectly grilled ribs. While smoke-house quality ribs may seem like a luxury, our easy recipe makes it more than possible to enjoy this BBQ staple right at home. All it takes is a grill, a few hours, and—okay—a lot of patience, but the tender, caramelized ribs are more than worth it. Here’s everything you need to know.

How To Make Grilled Ribs

INGREDIENTS

• BBQ Sauce: This sauce has all the right notes of pickly, sweet, and deep with apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, and Worcestershire. Definitely taste and adjust to your liking, but I do feel like this is a great starting point.
• Brown Sugar: There has to be a sweet aspect to cut through the other heavier flavors. Brown sugar is an easy go-to and a must-have whenever you're grilling ribs.
• Smoked Paprika: A whole 1/4 cup may seem like a lot of paprika, but you're going to need it all to penetrate through the full rack of ribs. Smoked brings out, obviously, a smoky aspect, so I highly recommend seeking it out over other kinds.
• Kosher Salt: I developed using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you're using a finer salt, like Morton or table salt, I recommend cutting the amount by half.
• Garlic Powder: Another quintessential ingredient for ribs, the powdered form stands up to the high heat of the grill instead of burning whole cloves.
• Cumin: Savory and slightly nutty, I love including cumin in any spice rub. It adds a lot of depth to whatever dish you're serving.
• Ribs: Seek out a full rack of baby back ribs, ideally at least 3 1/2 lb. total. Make sure you pat them dry before rubbing all over with the spice mix.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First thing is to get the sauce going. It's very easy. In a small saucepan, cook the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper until combined and thickened, which should only take 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the ribs.

Next, make the spice rub. Simply mix some brown sugar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and cumin in a small bowl. You're done!

Okay, now it's time to prep the grill. Heat one burner on your gas grill to low heat, or preheat your grill to 200°. (Or prep a charcoal grill with the charcoal stacked on one side.) On a large piece of foil, coat the ribs with the dry rub. Let sit for a few minutes, then tightly wrap up in foil.

Arrange the ribs bone side up on the cooler side of your grill and cover the grill. After 1 1/2 hours, rotate the ribs 180° and cook 1 1/2 hours more. (Make sure the grill temperature does not exceed 200°.)

After 3 hours, you should be able to see the bones protruding from the meat when you peek inside foil. Remove ribs from grill and transfer to a large baking sheet. Open up the foil and let the ribs rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you'll need to adjust the grill to high heat, or preheat to about 450°. (Turn on all burners or add more coals and spread them out evenly.) Remove the ribs from the foil and place directly on the grill racks. Using a pastry brush, generously baste with BBQ sauce. Flip the rack and the baste other side with sauce. It helps to have 2 sets of tongs (or a set of tongs and a spatula) to flip the rack.

Keep on grilling the ribs until the sauce is caramelized and meat has visible grill marks, 1 to 3 minutes. Flip again and continue to grill until sauce on other side is caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes.

Let the ribs hang out for a little bit before slicing.

Recipe Tips

• The best type of grill: For these ribs, a gas grill is ideal, since it'll give you a steady flame and unwavering temperature; however, a charcoal grill with a thermometer will work too. It'll just be slightly more challenging to maintain the temperature, but you'll get that extra smoky taste that makes ribs so great.
• Removing the membrane: For the juiciest ribs, remove the membrane before cooking. (The membrane is a thin layer of tissue attached to the underside of a rack of pork ribs.) You can ask your butcher to do this (or some packaged ribs from the grocery store might have the membrane already removed), but if you've already bought the ribs, no problem. Removing the membrane is simple. Slice into it (making a cut parallel to the bones) at one far end of your rack of ribs and pull it off in one piece.
• Wrapping the ribs: Wrap your ribs tightly in foil before placing on the grill and covering. After the 3 hours in foil and letting them rest, you’ll place them directly on the grill, but you’re going to want to cook them in foil for the first go around. This will not only keep them moist and tender, but will also help your ribs cook faster on the grill.
• How long do I grill the ribs? Depending on the size of your ribs and the heat of your grill, your ribs will probably take around 3 hours to cook on the grill. You’ll know your ribs are ready when you’re able to see bones protruding from the meat, and when the meat starts to become tender and easily pierced with a fork.

What To Serve With Ribs

• Potato Salad
• Coleslaw
• Mac & Cheese
• Cornbread

Storage

The ribs can be grilled up to 4 days ahead. Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate.