We actually prefer ours without a rub. I get baby backs or St Louis cuts. Preheat the grill with the charcoal on one side only. Position the top vent over the non charcoal side. Take a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil about 12" longer than the slab of ribs. Spray with Pam. Place ribs bone side down. pull the foil up around and fold ends tight. Do not close completely. Leave open along the top. Place on grill on the side without charcoal.

I cook for about an hour, turning the entire slab so that the long side alternates next to the coals. I turn the foil and all. After 45 minutes or so, I punch holes in the foil to let it drain and cover with barbeque sauce. I make a sweet/hot tomato based sauce or sometimes buy Sticky Fingers Memphis sauce. They just fall off the bone with no precooking.

Sometimes they take a little longer than an hour if they are thicker than usual.

One of the best cuts of pork ribs is called Loin Back Ribs. You can google a pig's geography, but they're much thicker and longer than Baby Back Ribs and they have a strip of loin meat running the length of the rack.

The perfect way to cook pork ribs is in a smoker, but few have one. Second best is a charcoal cooker like a Weber kettle that will let you do indirect heat. A gas cooker will work if you add some wood chips for flavor and smoke. If you must bake them in the oven, avoid making rib soup. Cook them low and slow with ample foil so they don't dry out, but don't dump a gallon of liquid on them and boil out all the flavor. (Jeez, I know there's gonna be some angry voices here, but when it comes to barbecue, I just have to stand my ground.)

The last thing in the world you'll get me to argue about is the need for sauce. To 90% of the barbecue eating public, sauce is the boss. To those of us who understand meat, it's just another rarely needed condiment.

Yeah, to me pork without sauce is just grilled not barbeque. I want sauce cooked into my pulled pork. And I DO understand meat! LOL!

Grilled chops, steaks, or chicken. Barbeque pork, beef, and chicken have sauce. Tomato based with brown sugar and a nice touch of heat.

ETA: I have to cook my barbeque to get what I like. No one in North Alabama cooks it the way I grew up with. Heavens, they put slaw on the sandwich.

The above recipe from Cathy is the one I used last weekend. It was fantastic! I prebaked them long and low then just finished them on the grill with a Bobby Flays bottled sauce. Really good.

ETA Please share pics if you have 'em!

So glad you asked this question 2Many (and there's some smoker talk, cough, cough:) -- flavors/combinations, techniques varied and complex-- all good!

arkansasgirl -- Tony Chacheri's? Love that! and I never would have thought to use it, putting in my arsenal.

chloebud -- DH rib cook? ribs are always great? Win-Win right?:) IDK why I never thought of apple juice -- that would really work for me. I actually use that when making corned beef.

plllog -- Setting you up with my DH plllog! The whole beer factor and Fred F. would have him hovering HA! Not kidding. You need to try some in your PC.

Sherry -- I can actually see how your making those ribs, Sherry! Great description And I'm laughing about your slaw comment! Here in Pittsburgh there are folks who LOVE sandwiches not only with slaw on them but french fries HAHAHAHA! (Restaurant Primantis) LIke that sweet/hot description too. I think my rub is missing a bit of heat.

fawnridge (Ricky) -- I love your passion (no lie) and wish we could all hang out grilling -- what a great way to learn! Couple of things. Brilliant about adding orange -- wow, I can see even maybe a bit of lemon in there for some citrus tang. I'm probably going to mix up 1/2 of that rub just to see a) cause I have everything b) cause I like everything in it (except the garlic and I'd prob reduce cayenne!:) But, the garam marsala? Major intrigue.

I'm laughing "While I continually chant "Good barbecue don't need no sauce" and I know you'll get what I tell my kids: "Know your audience.":)))))!

And I've made rib soup (actually, several types of meat soups in the PC:) where my liquid is full flavored cause it's sucked every vestige of life out of the meat:) Find that sweet spot.

louiseab -- Great minds:)! Going to look at Bobby Flays too. I hope they have it here -- such a limited selection. Of course, there is Amazon:)

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As an aside (and I know nothing about this cause I DON'T SMOKE:) I have the Cook's Illustrated Cook's Science book (you know, the folks that quantify everything:) and thought I'd see if you smokers agree/disagree (always knowing CI can be a bit woo-woo aka over-the-top:):

Wood: Chicken, Fish, Beef/Pork Comments

Apple: Great, Great, Great -- All around hit, with "sweet, "fruity, subtly complex" flavor.

Cherry: Great, Great, Great -- Well liked for "mild/fruity" sweetness.

Hickory: Good, Good. Good -- Overall "generic but good with "balanced' flavor.

Oak: Good, Good, Good -- "Mild" "nutty" "herbal" with hints of vanilla.

Maple: Good, Fair, Good -- Evoked pleasant memories of "bacon" for some but was "resin-y" on salmon.

Alder: Fair, Good, Good -- "Delicate" flavor with "coriander/juniper" notes. Some found "bitter" with chicken.

Pecan: Fair, Fair, Good -- "intense" and "spicy" with pork brought "cigarette-like" off- flavors to chick and fish.

Mesquite: Fair, Fair, Fair -- In general, "harsh" "acrid" reminding of "burnt rubber."

Funny, I would have selected mesquite as a first attempt:)

CathyinSWPA

I'm with Ricky - if it's not smoked, it's not barbecue. I have nothing against oven roasted ribs, just don't call them barbecue! Anyway, the list of woods from Cooks Illustrated is interesting but it really is a matter of personal taste, as well as dependent on the temperature at which you smoke. Any wood can produce acrid flavors at high temps or if you smoke for too long. Mesquite is the one you have to be most careful with, as it really can be overpowering. I'm rather surprised that pecan rated so poorly in their tests because it is by far my favorite wood for pork. I love cherry too, but I'm less of a fan of apple.

As for the rub vs sauce vs both question, I'm generally a rub-only person as long as the meat has been seasoned and smoked properly. Oven baked or crockpot meats generally need sauce to make them interesting. My favorite commercial bbq sauce is Stubb's spicy, but I generally make my own if I'm serving bbq to guests. I enjoy experimenting with regional styles and sauces (for example, mustard or vinegar based rather than sweet/red).

I make different rubs for different meats, but my basic rub for pork includes salt, white pepper, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, cumin and jalapeno powder. From there I sometimes add a small amount of other spices to change things up - a bit of cinnamon or ginger, or a little ground sage and thyme. Experimenting with rub and wood combinations is part of the fun!

We like spare ribs rather than baby backs. We use "Oklahoma Joe's (Now Joe's KC -- famous KC BBQ restaurant) rub on our ribs and then DH smokes them low and slow. It's KC BBQ ribs at their best! Our BBQ sauce is added as we eat them.

Cathy, I have so enjoyed just looking at those ribs – from rubbed, to cooked and sliced, to the plating! The rub looked amazing, the ribs look tender and juicy, and now that I’ve read the ingredients I definitely want to use it for our next racks of ribs – thank you for generously sharing it!

I’m in the camp of ‘there is no one way to make ribs, and there is no one way to make the perfect ribs for me and mine’. I also think there are a variety of ways to make ribs that might fit your current cravings more so at certain times, or for certain occasions, or even for certain weather. And I for one never want to stop trying new recipes or methods!

I’m also in the camp that believes a good grilled rack needs no sauce, but I find sauce to be like the au jus or horseradish sauce for prime rib – without it, it’s good, with it you’ve got another layer of flavor. I’ve added a wee bit of sauce at the end of grilling sometimes, and like it like that as well.

I have use ann_t’s recipe for Greek ribs: first I remove the membrane, then rub the racks with salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic, wrap the ribs and let them sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours. That’s it. Simple.

I grill our ribs on a gas grill, often (now) using a smoker pellet tube with hickory pellets (I now have apple and will try those next. (CATHY, DID YOU HEAR THAT? SMOKER TUBE. SMOKER TUBE. Smoker Tube… you know you want one (nudging you in the ribs… oh! Pun intended, HA!)

My method is low, slow, and stacked. Heat the grill to high as it will go, then I bump it down to about 365 -375 F on my wired temp gauge, and stack one rack directly on top of the other – bone side down for both. I grill 4 hours, and every 30 minutes I put the top rack on the bottom, the bottom rack on the top – this lets all those lovely juices drip back onto the ribs underneath. Pork fat rules in my house! The last 30 minutes I sometimes brush just a little of BBQ sauce on each rack. Sometimes I don’t. BTW, the ribs aren’t greasy one iota.

Ann_t mentioned TBQ sauce, so I found this recipe:

TBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/2 cup prepared mustard

1/2 cup vinegar white

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup white sugar

…then, because I’m a total wimp, I mix this sauce with Stubb’s BBQ sauce (giving a wave to biondanonima!) : ) About less than ¾ TBQ and a little more than ¼ store-bought sweeter sauce. It’s served on the side, and I think there is something in it that’s addictive!! I freeze leftover ribs so we can enjoy them whenever, and always freeze servings of BBQ sauce to serve with them : )

These were grilled for 3 hours at around 400 - 450 + F. Still incredibly tender/fall off the bone even though the rib bones weren't poking through, but I prefer the 4 hour method.

Photos for uploading · More Info

Sauce on the side : )

Photos for uploading · More Info

I like the ribs that have already been trimmed and membrane removed before purchase. Lately this brand of St Louis cut has been very good.

http://www.smithfield.com/products/extra-tender-fresh-pork/

Struggled with ribs for years.

The way Mom made them was to dry roast in the oven with just S & P and garlic powder. Those were delicious but the pork was from either our home grown hogs and from the day when grocery store pork had a lot more flavor than the factory farm pseudo pork that is prevalent today.

A couple of months or so back, 2Many inspired me to get a pellet tube smoker. Inaugural ribs, no rub, no nuthin' were freaking delicious. (Cherry, hickory, maple blend IIRC.) Will be my go-to for ribs from now on. Except maybe, if I get some heritage hog ribs, I'll go with Mom's method just for nostalgia's sake.

Agree with CI about mesquite. I don't like it. At all. Disagree w/ their opinion on pecan. Love it for pork and chicken but definitely not with beef.

I keep Sweet Baby Ray's to use in cheater baked beans but it's just tooo sweet (to my taster) for anything else. It has a great balanced flavor, though. Thinking maybe I need to mix it some vinegar based BBQ sauce to rein in some of the sweet?

Well, Houzz at it again. I posted a thread titled "Share your hot weather simple recipes" with the herbed potato salad and it was listed in my 'activity', but I didn't see it on GW Cooking. Now it's not listed. I'll give it a day in case it pops up again!

ETA: The above is not very clear... I posted the above (or tried to) for Cathy as she so generously shared her rib recipe in trade for the herbed potato recipe (though no trade ever needed!).

In order of percentage, our rub consists of coriander, dry ginger, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and sometimes merquen. Merquen is like chipotle except from Chile. We use back ribs and never use sauce. When available we use feral pig ribs. We cook on a gas grill with a pan of water over the burners at 270 for four hours.

Sometimes I go to extremes with a hundred spices and seasonings, spend hours to make a rub.

And sometimes simply brush on a thick coat of hoisin sauce in a few seconds and grill. Just as good.

dcarch

Barbecue is simple cooking. When you start getting a dozen spices together to make your rub, you've crossed the boundary between simple and fancy. I cooked several times against a guy from North Florida who had a rub made up of 30 different spices. He scored well but always at least 5 places below me and that simple rub I posted above.

On the subject of wood, simple again rules the day. I've watched cooks put six different varieties of wood into their smoker at the same time! What I've found that works best is just one variety of wood per cook. I only use hickory, which, if you read a million barbecue books, is considered to be the traditional wood for barbecue.

@Sherry: Your statement about the membrane being removed from the Smithfield St Louis ribs is interesting. That is the brand I purchased to use for the 4th of July - it had the membrane which I had to remove.

I didn't see one on mine? I have cooked them several times already this year. I always buy Baby Back or St Louis. I never buy regular spareribs. I"ll check the next time I buy.

This is a good place for me to discuss something thats been on my mind. You are all seasoned cooks and won't get sick. My son cooked ribs once and brought them to my house saying the pork had parasites and wanted me to see before tossing them. LOL. I knew before he even arrived what he was seeing..the Cartledge. They do gross me out but I sure wouldn't toss the ribs. I told my grands to prepare for a snack where we sat at the table and enjoyed the delicious ribs. My son was disgusted. LOL. I told him next time trim the ribs before cooking or buy St Louis or baby backs that are already trimmed...these two are already trimmed right?? Course if they arnt I'll have another slab of ribs sent to me..LOL.

Sherry, the membrane was extremely thin and hard to see and very hard to remove, but it was there. At first, I did not think there was a membrane, but I kept looking and finally saw it - it ran the whole length of the rack.

Well, we didn't notice it when we ate them either! LOL!

Well shoot! If you didn't notice it, I won't fool with it the next time. As I said, it was very hard to remove.

Maybe it is the way I cook them. They simmer for 45 minutes to an hour in their own juices. In a boat of aluminum foil.

Every now and then you'll buy ribs where the membrane has already been removed - good catch. I use a teaspoon with a rounded handle to remove the membrane, but you can use any dull rounded tool such as an old butter knife or an oyster shucking knife as well. Start in the middle, where it's easiest to get underneath, and just work your tool back and forth a bit until you can get a finger under the membrane. Then just slide right and left, and you'll get it to release. Spares are more work than Loin Backs or Baby Backs and it's best to remove the membrane before you trim them to St. Louis style.

Yours truly cooking loin backs on the best cooker I ever owned - The Backwoods Party. Over 8-1/2 years, I took more than a dozen trophies with this rascal. I finally burnt up all the insulation and donated it to a friend who refurbished it for a Boys & Girls Club. Glaze going on for the last 10 minutes.

I want the three on the bottom rack. They have all the wonderful juices from the two racks above.

dcarch

And put these under the bottom rack of ribs, or au gratin potatoes.

I never seem to remember to take the after pics cuz I'm too hungry, but here's a few slabs on the egg above those beans. I normally use Dizzy Dust by Dizzy Pig because I'm lazy... but sometimes make my own.

Wow! I feel like a kindergartner here HA!

Also, am I the only that finds some brands of smoked paprika have heat? I used Penzey's just smoky, bought another (either Trader Jo or Whole Foods?) and was like wow!

biondanonima -- I appreciate your thoughts on experimenting with rub and wood combinations. I have only ever used the sweet and red, but keep looking at the vinegar. May pull the trigger.

2Many -- Dang, those ribs look good. And I actually think sauce on the side is a great idea! Your cooking style evokes kind of an architect's rendering or better yet -- lego/lincoln logs HAHA! Your maxim "‘there is no one way to make ribs, and there is no one way to make the perfect ribs for me and mine." is spot on here. BTW, I literally LOL'd about nudging, but I couldn't quite make out the sentence right before it:) Need to try Stubbs too I guess.

Sherry/Walnut -- Goodness! Please do not tell me there is a membrane that needs to be removed from
baby back ribs????????????????????????????? GAH! I thought that was
just silver skin/membrane pork tenderloin? I have to go google a pic!

ci_lantro -- you have a smoker too????? 2Many at it again;) Very interesting about your findings re home grown vs factory farm. Gosh, I bet that is a delicious memory and probably spoils you for some of the stuff we think is exceptional. Like the SBR in the baked beans idea too. Using that one.

shuffles_gw -- off to look at merquen, and I like the ginger. Something I wouldn't have thought of. Candidly though, totally fascinated that you have feral pig available.

dcarch -- I can admit this to you because we both appreciate flowers on a plate:) I have a jar of hoisin sauce that I've never opened cause I feel a little tentative about it. HA! Maybe I'll at least open it up and taste it now:)

mamapinky0 -- HAHAHA! Story is priceless.

fawnridge(ricky) -- if that picture doesn't epitomize true joy, I don't know what does. Gosh, do you look like your in your element! Going to investigate Loin ribs -- do they have that membrane????

Okay, happened to have Mark Bittman How to Grill Everything from the library, and I shared on the WFD thread he has a recipe for Smoked Mac 'n Cheese -- oh my goodness.

Some snips from his book.

Chris's Best Ever Rub

2 T Sugar

2 T Paprika

1 T salt

1 T ground cumin

1 T black pepper

1 T chili powder (gives directions to make your own)

For five-spice: sub 2 tsp five-spice for chili. For Chipotle: Sub 1 tsp chiptole chile powder for the chili powder. For Smoked Paprika: Sub smoked for regular.

He also gives 9 spice blends you can make: curry, chili, jerk, five-spice, garam masala, za'tar, baharat, ras el hanout. Very nice.

Classic BBQ Sauce

1 T butter

2 T minced onion

1 T minced garlic

1/2 Cup ketchup

2 T cider vinegar

2 T brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire or soy sauce.

Summarized directions by me -- cook onions and garlic in butter till soft. Add all other ingredients whisk to combine. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce

1 T butter

1/4 Cup minced onion

1 Cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 T distilled white vinegar

1 T honey

1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard (ballpark stuff)

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

salt and pepper

Same directions as above.

Have to run. Thanks everyone for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

CathyinSWPA

2Many -- I'll be looking for that post:)

Mine looked like the ribs at the end where the membrane is pulled up. I really think it was already removed. I have bought ribs before with it on and it is very chewy and never gets tender.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/remove-membrane-from-pork-ribs-995303

Cathy, by PC do you mean pressure cooker? Maybe one of those big canning varieties, but the Flintstone ribs don't fit in my multipot. :) They didn't have any ribs at the store, but when I asked the butcher, he found a rack and a half of beef (no bison!) in the back. :) Just have to decide between the Corona which is good for baking or a more pungent ale.

BTW, to be clear there are several different meanings to "barbecue":

1. The solid fueled, grill topped cooking device, sometimes extended to gas grill appliances.

2. The food cooked on a barbecue.

3. Barbecue flavor, usually spices and/or smoke, such as barbecue potato chips.

I agree that food cooked in an oven isn't barbecue, but it can be "barbecue style" or "barbecue flavor". :D

Ricky, it's nice to "see" you!

Because I grow my own beef, chicken, sometimes pork and recently, duck, and I've done it my whole life, plus cooked it and eaten it, I think I know meat, from the ground up, LOL. I have often said that good beef doesn't need any help, but that's usually referring to steak because I like sauce with pork, even smoked pork shoulder that Elery has done in the smoker. (shrug) Taste is subjective, not objective.

I also like the Stubb's BBQ sauce, and I like mine a little sweet and just a little hot. Right now I have a new batch of my homemade tart cherry BBQ sauce, so that's the sauce of choice for now. I usually start the ribs in the oven, wrapped in tin foil. I always remove the membrane, usually by starting one edge then just grabbing it with a paper towel and pulling, often it comes right off in a big hunk. After a couple of hours in the oven with either a rub or just salt and pepper, depending on my mood, they go on the grill to crisp up. That's when the sauce gets added. Is it BBQ or is it just grilled? I guess I just don't care, I like them the way I like them.

When Elery does use the smoker we usually use apple wood because we have apple trees that require annual pruning, so we have lots of it. Sometimes cherry, because we have that too. Occasionally he'll buy hickory or mesquite.

I'm normally not a big fan of pork, I've even lost my taste for bacon and ham, but I just really love good ribs with lots of sauce. Not so tender they fall apart, but tender with just enough chew that you know you're eating something. Texture is very important for me in most things, including ribs.

Annie

plllog -- I did mean pressure cooker, plllog. Out of my element here, but I've left the ribs intact and then curled the ribs to fit inner pot standing on end. I'm going to google some bison rib pics. Like your bbq clarification. What's a person called who really doesn't like the ribs per se and just picks at the charred pieces:D? BTW, if you have beer, whatever kind, my DH will keep you company.

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fawnridge(ricky) -- So are these loin ribs labeled or is this a case where there are a bunch of names (like steaks)? Certainly not definitive/authority, but I have the Bittman book open. Which category (or not) are the loin.

Quick Survey of Ribs

Baby back ribs: The leanest and smallest of all rib. Cut from near the back bone, a rack will weigh 1.5 to 2 lbs, the cook up fastest on the grill. When you go to buy them, look closely to avoid "shiners" -- racks where you can clearly see the bones showing htrough on both sides. Shiners cheat you of meat. (* I didn't know this)

Spare ribs: These are cut from closer to the breastbone and much fattier (largely in the form of marbling, which will melt and deliver delicious flavor) than baby backs. A full slab of spare ribs weigh between 3 and 4 lbs. and is irregularly shaped, somewhat like a fan.

Center-cut ribs: Also know as St. Louis-style ribs, this is a squared-off slab of spare ribs. You'll know you have center-cut ribs (it's not always marked on the package) if you find an odd flap of meat included underneath the rack. Grill it along with ribs, although it tends to remain chewy.

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Steve -- good grief, those beans would be crazy good. And there would only be "before" shots if I made those ribs too.

Sherry -- Great visual! (I actually clicked on the Beginner's Guide too, cause that's me) Mine didn't have the membrane. Whew!

Annie -- I hear that mom's really like cherry BBQ sauce:) "I like them the way I like them" Yes! I'm a charred piece picker:), but I do have "chew" raters. I've kind of hit the sweet spot in my PC (look away true BBQ enthusiasts:) 25 minutes chew/30 fall off; the assemblage dictates the timing.

CathyinSWPA

Cathy, I'm going to throw a wrench into your list, I have about 10 pounds of something called "riblets" in the freezer. They are the curved end of a side of ribs, the butchers cut them about in half and want that flat piece to package, and sell the "riblets" separately. When we got that hog butchered we got several beautiful flat packages of ribs and a bag of "riblets".

Yes, Moms do tend to like that cherry BBQ sauce, as long as they don't know what they are eating. (grin) I just canned 5 pints of cherry juice yesterday so I can use it in marinade. Maybe ribs, but probably for the ducks that are in the freezer.

Annie

Annie, Cathy just copied the main section of ribs normally sold. Here is the complete list for anyone who needs it. I'm sure you don't raising your own meat! LOL!

https://www.thespruceeats.com/pork-ribs-a-beginners-guide-995246

When I was a kid, spareribs were huge curved things with very little meat on them and those hard to eat riblets attached. needless to say, I didn't like ribs. Even when I was first married, that was the only pork ribs available. I would cook them maybe once a year. It was fantastic when the stores started carrying what I call "good" ribs. I like Baby Backs and St Louis cuts equally. They cook fall off the bone tender on the grill in about an hour or so with no precooking. I also buy those country ribs sometimes for crock pot recipes in the winter. They can be kinda iffy, since every store has a different idea what country ribs are.

Both Costco and BJ's stock Loin Back ribs. They're usually Smithfield brand, but they have had others. Loin Back ribs are becoming more and more popular thanks to these two merchandising giants. I haven't seen them in King Soopers out in Colorado or Safeway, but they'll be there eventually.

I use a home-made spice blend that I use on almost everything......eggs, fried potatoes, pork chops, fish fillets, in the hamburger to make tacos. etc etc.

It has a bunch of stuff.....cayenne, paprika, dry mustard, cumin, garlic powder, dried coriander, a bit of curry, chili powder, and much more.

I rubbed that with some brown sugar and black pepper on my back ribs this morning, stuck them in the frig for a couple of hours, and they're in the slow cooker for dinner tonite.

Brushed with AnnT's TBQ barbecue sauce (upthread) (I cut down on the yellow mustard), and grilled or broiled.

Annie, you bring back childhood memories! My mother bought meat by the side, cryovac, and we always had barbecue lamb riblets. They were SO good!

Cathy, the beer is for cooking! Not that I wouldn't share, of course, if y'all were coming by... I've tried a number of liquids for braising beef/bison ribs and beer seems best. The best for ribs is dark Yorkshire ale. Old Peculier. But any decent beer in general will do. :)

Ricky… now that’s a photo of a man in his element, happy as can be!

Steve J, those ribs look amazing! I’ve never seen that many ribs on an egg- way to grill!

Annie, I like my sauce a little sweet and a little hot too. The mix of stubb’s and the TBQ sauce is perfect for us.

Here's the method I use to remove membrane - if I'm freezing my ribs I remove the membrane first. I have never had it break on me while pulling with a paper towel.

No advice to give...... I get total rib envy when I see what you all do with your ribs and grills....its not something the Europeans do well compared to you all at all. Bbqs here are very tame affairs compared to what im seeing lol

"I have never had it break on me while pulling with a paper towel."

Same here, 2Many...works really well.

Hah, I was removing the membrane on the weekend with my paper towel as usual. It tore cleanly down the middle in half. I had to start it again to remove the other half. I hate taking off the membrane.

When I bought the case of Danish baby backs for our party last weekend (22 lbs), I was very happily surprised and relieved, to find that the membrane had already been removed. I find that sometimes the membrane on some ribs comes away easily, and some I just give up on.

I think the paper towel is simply for cooks that don't want to touch the meat with their bare hands. Of course, in competition you were required to wear gloves, but I never saw anyone use a piece of paper towel to pull off the membrane. I would think it would get damp and tear. Whatever. I been using my spoon and finger technique for so long it's just second nature.

The paper towel really helps you grip the membrane. I have no issue touching meat but I always use a paper towel for that particular task, just for the grip.

The pic is great. That is one happy smoker, : )

Smoked a pile of ribs early Spring. Low and slow packed tight. open the packets at some point...no competing here. I only get the Costco ribs. Planning another round this coming weekend. Garden is planted and on its own now except for minor up-keep. Ribs are a good project.

I like the GaramMasala addition to the rub. I make my own GM so I just may do one of the packs using that version. My spice rub falls into the complicated category but I have the spices and like fresh roasted, ground fresh. Doesn't take long at all and I can stock up other blends that are low at the same time.

I bbq a big batch while I'm at it. I swear the neighbors can smell it. One is a football field away and the other is 3 fields away. We do fair trade with the closer. His leeks are baseball bats and mine are toothpicks. He brings leeks and I give all the rhubarb they want. "whatcha cookin'?". The other neighbor is 6'6 and huge. He could use the walk but he drives. "whatcha cookin'?". He offers nothing but an appetite, lol.

Plenty for everyone.

I plan on 8-10hours. Start about 9am. All I have patience for. I aim for fall-of-the-bone with a tug. I like it to hold on. Leftovers I pull off the bone and food saver in packets for the freezer for mid week quick tacos.

I use wood, side fire box. Free fuel. Maple, birch, pear, plum, apple. Old trees.

Mesquite powder is a great ingredient. From the seed pods, not the bark/wood. Smells like milk chocolate. HERE

My son does the BQ competitions and he uses the paper towel. I don't have to, because the ribs I buy are already missing the membrane.

I think removal techniques for the membrane depends on personal preference, how dry the meat is, how stuck to the meat the membrane is, and hand/finger strength. I tried the paper towel method first, which worked, then tried the butter knife in the middle technique and never could get the knife all the way under in the middle without tearing the membrane. I’ve also been in a hurry and used a sharp knife to pick the membrane away from an end, them skipped the paper towel and used bare hands – worked with the first rack, but my hands were too slippery for the second and my grip isn’t the greatest maybe.

Sleevendog, no wonder your neighbors can smell those ribs, I mean, big batch at 8-10 hours… pretty sure I’ve smelled them too : ) You know how I love herbs and spices as you do, but I’ve not made nearly the custom spices I want. Now mesquite powder? Added to my future list : ) I know mesquite isn’t popular with some, but my taste for it is well-developed after living in New Mexico. Also sage. Oh leeks! Leeks here are so darned expensive. Last time I made leek soup I almost had to take out a loan, ha ha. You are so lucky to have that neighbor! He’s lucky to have you and your ribs!

plllog -- you may think that beer is for cooking -- it may go among the missing if DH were around:)

You guys, this whole membrane thing???? I'm like louiseab. I've never seen it, and I'm really glad;) I will say though, that I bought some baby backs at Whole Foods this week, and I saw "shiners"! Of course, I didn't notice them until my son and I were putting on the rub:)

In any event, I forget which thread I posted these (lost my mind), but son made some the other day in the Instant Pot. I still need to try some of these homemade BBQ sauces -- this was the rest of Sweet Baby and broiler.

shambo -- I'm so happy it worked for you and your husband! My dad has Parkinsons (swallowing difficulties too) and enjoys these also. And yeah! to having some flexibility, right? Heat, spiders, bug repellents -- no match for the Instant Pot HA!

CathyinSWPA

Time to resurrect this thread and maybe add some more posts?? I do loves me some ribs!

Smiles,

Sooz

I remember this from last year. Good thread. I just used my mesquite powder last weekend making my rub. Just now put another pound in my cart and it is on sale.

Like said, it is from the pods not the wood....

A staple food of indigenous cultures, mesquite powder provides a unique flavor to a wide variety of culinary preparations; from baking to cooking, seasoning, and even barbeques. Naturally sweet molasses-like flavor with rich nutty hints similar to carob. It is a tasty addition to smoothies and "super" shakes, coffee, baked goods, and chocolates.