powder, cumin, allspice, and herbes de
Provence in a medium bowl. Rub^3 ⁄ 4 cup
mixture evenly over both sides of slabs, and
let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.- Prepare a charcoal fire in smoker
according to manufacturer’s instructions,
substituting a mixture of^3 ⁄^4 cup each of the
vinegar and water in drip pan. Bring internal
temperature to 250°F to 275°F, and maintain
for 15 to 20 minutes. Place wood chunks on
coals. Place slabs on smoker, meaty side
up; cover with lid. - Smoke ribs, maintaining inside tempera-
ture between 250°F and 275°F, until meat
is tender to the touch and pulls away from
bones on the ends, 3 hours to 3 hours and
30 minutes. Remove ribs, and place on a
baking sheet. Stir together remaining^1 ⁄ 4 cup
each of vinegar and water. Spritz or brush
vinegar-water mixture on both sides of
ribs to thoroughly moisten. If desired, rub
remaining^1 ⁄ 2 cup brown sugar mixture on
both sides of ribs. Slice ribs between the
bones, and serve.
Cola-and-Coffee
Beef Ribs
ACTIVE 45 MIN. - TOTAL 5 HOURS, 45 MIN.
SERVES 8|2 (3^1 ⁄ 2 -lb.) racks beef back ribs
1 ⁄ 3 cup kosher salt
1 ⁄ 4 cup finely ground medium-roast
coffee beans
3 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 handfuls wood chunks for smoking
(oak, hickory, or mesquite)
Cola-Coffee Barbecue Sauce
(recipe, page 103)- Pat both sides of slabs dry with paper
towels. Using a sharp knife, remove thin
membrane from back of each slab by slicing
into it and pulling it off with a paper towel.
(It can be difficult to remove the membrane
from beef ribs, so you might want to have
the butcher do it for you.) - Combine salt, coffee, pepper, paprika,
and chili powder in a bowl; rub evenly
over both sides of each rack, and let stand
at room temperature 30 minutes.- Prepare a charcoal fire in smoker
according to manufacturer’s instructions,
bringing internal temperature to 250°F to
275°F. Maintain temperature for 15 to 20
minutes. Place wood chunks on coals. - Place ribs, meaty side up, on smoker;
cover with lid. Smoke ribs, maintaining inside
temperature between 250°F and 275°F, until
meat begins to pull away from bones but is
not yet tender, about 3 hours. Brush about
(^1) ⁄ (^2) cup Cola-Coffee Barbecue Sauce over
both sides of ribs. Cover and smoke until a
meat thermometer inserted in between the
rib bones registers 205°F and rib meat is
very tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes,
brushing with about^1 ⁄^4 cup barbecue sauce
every 30 minutes. Remove ribs from the
smoker; brush with^1 ⁄ 4 cup barbecue sauce.
Serve with remaining barbecue sauce.
Sweet Chili-and-
Mustard Baby Back Ribs
ACTIVE 45 MIN. - TOTAL 4 HOURS, 50 MIN.
SERVES 6|
2 (2^1 ⁄ 2 - to 3-lb.) slabs baby back
pork ribs
1 ⁄ 4 cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 ⁄ 2 cup sweet chili sauce
(such as Mae Ploy)
1 ⁄ 2 cup Dijon mustard
1 ⁄ 4 cup honey
1 ⁄ 4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- Pat both sides of slabs dry with paper
towels. Using a sharp knife, remove thin
membrane from back of each slab by slicing
into it and pulling it off with a paper towel.
(This will make ribs more tender and allow
meat to absorb the rub better.) Combine
salt, cumin, dry mustard, and cayenne in a
small bowl; rub evenly over both sides of
slabs, and let stand at room temperature 30
minutes. Combine sweet chili sauce, Dijon
mustard, honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. - Prepare a charcoal fire on bottom grate
of a large charcoal grill. When coals are - SHOP WISELY Whether you’re
buying baby backs or beef ribs,
choose pink meat with uniform
size and marbling, which will help
them cook more evenly. Avoid ribs
that have been “enhanced” or
“basted” with a liquid sodium
solution—this can lead to overly
salty ribs once you add a rub
or sauce. - CLEAN YOUR GRILL OR SMOKER
Yes, we know this is obvious, but
a greasy grill or smoker grate can
ruin a batch of ribs—no matter
how amazing your sauce. - GET THE RIGHT GEAR You’ll
need long-handled tongs and a
grill basting brush if you’re adding
a sauce (silicone models are
easiest to clean). We also like
having a cheap squirt bottle on
hand to add a vinegar wash. - REMOVE EXCESS MOISTURE
Before you cook your ribs, pat
them dry with paper towels to
absorb surface moisture, which
will keep them from browning. - LET THE RUB STAND If you’re
using a dry rub, coat ribs evenly
and press the rub into the meat
so it forms a crust. For the most
flavor, let the rub sit on the meat
for 30 minutes before cooking. - DON’T PEEK Whether you’re
cooking ribs on the grill, in a
smoker, or in the oven, you want
to maintain a constant tempera-
ture, so keep the door or lid shut
as much as possible. - TEST FOR DONENESS It can be
hard to tell if a rack of ribs is done
just by looking at it. A good test is
whether you can easily pull apart
two ribs with a pair of tongs. Once
the meat is cooked, let it rest at
least 10 minutes before serving
so the juices can redistribute.
7 SECRETS TO
BETTER RIBS
JUNE 2017 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM
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