What Type Of Pork Ribs To Buy To Smoke
The two main styles of pork ribs you will see in the store are baby back ribs and spare ribs. You may also see St Louis Style ribs, which are just spare ribs trimmed into a more rectangular shape, usually for competition.
For this recipe I went with Baby Back Ribs, although you cant go wrong with either style. Depending on the size of the ribs you choose, you might want to modify the wrap time.
For example, with really small baby back ribs you could wrap for just one hour, or if you prefer more of a firm texture.
Smoke Ribs For Three Hours
This first part of the cook allows the meat to absorb the smoke flavor while the application of the rub helps create that traditional mahogany color and bark we get when smoking meat.
I dont bother spritzing the ribs in the first three hours as it allows the smoke, fat and dry rub to intermingle and really set into the meat.
The smoke from the tube should be at its heaviest in the beginning, making it perfect for the initial smoke.
Toward the end of the first three hours, the surface of the ribs will be darker in color and tacky to the touch. The fat has started to render and the smoke and rub flavors have melded together.
Complete Guide On How To Slow Cook Ribs On A Gas Grill
Slow-cooked ribs on the gas grill are the best ribs around. You can easily make them for summer family summer and enjoy the amazing taste and flavor. Want to learn how to slow cook ribs on a gas grill? Well, we are going to share the recipe of slow-cooked ribs on the gas grill along with some exciting grilling tips and commonly asked questions.
You May Like: 10 Best Grilled Salmon Recipes
Grill Prep 2 And Starting To Cook
After letting the grill burn off whatever was on there and scrubbing the grate clean with a grill brush I will turn off the burner where I want the ribs to cook indirectly. I am going to leave the direct side fully on and toss one of the packets on top of the grate.
Most of the time I see someone using these packets they just say to toss it over your burner and like magic it will start smoking within a short period of time. Not with my grill, So I am going to place it on top of the grate for about 5 to 10 minutes to drive off excess moisture then give it a helping hand with a wand / grill lighter just to get it stared, in the main picture of this step you can just make out a tiny little flame in the large opening.
That tiny little flame wont last long, and that is fine you don’t want a fire, you want the chips to smolder. I give it a few more minutes, then when I start to see smoke wisping out I lift up the grill grate and throw it over the burner shield sill with full gas on the burner. After a little bit more time the first packet should be smoking pretty well, so once again I lift the grate, toss on the second packet and then finally put the meat on.
Offsetting the packets start time’s like this should ensure us a full good hour of smoke.
Setting Up Your Gas Grill As A Smoker
- Tear of 4 sheets of aluminum foil pour 2 cups of wood chips in the center of each sheet and fold in the size to form a pouch. Poke about 12 holes in the foil to let the smoke vent out.
- Remove the grill grate on one side of the grill and place one foil pouch on top of the flavorrizing bars with the vent holes facing up. Place the grill grates back on and turn the burner that are touching the foil pouch on medium high.
- Fill alluminum half pan on top of the grill grates over the foil and fill about ¾ full of water. This will take a while to heat up but it will help keep the ribs moist and help maintain even temperature.
- Adjust the burners to reach and maintain a temperature between 275-300 degrees F. Make sure you have enough space to place the ribs over indirect heat.
Also Check: Soho Asian Bar And Grill
Remove The Membrane From The Back Of The Ribs
Most ribs will have a thin membrane intact on the back of the ribs that protect the bones.
If you leave this on, it will prevent the dry rub from penetrating into the meat. It will also get hard when you grill it and the ribs will be tough and rubbery to eat.
The best way to remove it is to use a small knife and a paper towel. The paper towel will help because its really slippery. I have removed the membrane without it, plenty of times. Do what works best for you.
It may come off in one pull, or you may have several attempts.
How To Smoke Ribs On A Gas Grill
Ready to cook one of the best loved BBQ meats out there? Perfectly smoked ribs are fall-off-the-bone delicious and packed full of flavor. Luckily you dont need a smoker to make them. Heres how to smoke ribs on your gas grill.
BBQ ribs remain a mainstay on the grilling competition circuit and its not hard to see why. When done right, there arent many meats that come out as beautifully tender, delicate and crazy delicious as ribs.
The problem with ribs though is that as tasty as they are, theyre also incredibly easy to get wrong. Ive seen plenty of examples of ribs coming out dry, bland and tough.
For this reason, a good rack of ribs is the mark of a good grill master. If you can get them right then youre well on your way to being a seasoned pro.
Check out our Texas Style Baby Back Ribs recipe
BBQ smokers and charcoal grills remain the tools of choice for most BBQ masters. They lend themselves perfectly to the kind of low and slow cooking that is so strongly associated with barbecue smoking. What you might not know though is that you can easily adapt your gas grill to be a more than capable tool for barbecue smoking.
In this guide today, Im going to walk you through everything you need to know to turning out beautifully tender ribs using nothing more than your humble gas grill.
To kick things off, lets look at the types of ribs you need to get.
You May Like: Propane Tanks For Gas Grills
Ingredient Notes For Grilled Ribs
- Ribs: 1 rack of baby back ribs.
- Best BBQ Rub: The link is here for this dry rub or use your favorite. Use whatever spices you enjoy, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, choli powder etc.
- Apple Cider BBQ Sauce or try this Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Again you can use your own barbecue sauce recipe if you prefer or a favorite bbq sauce from the store.
Recommended Reading: How To Grill Steak On Charcoal Grill
Expert Tips For Making This Pork Ribs Recipe
- NO Dijon: You can swap out the dijon for honey, cider vinegar, olive oil, melted butter, soy sauce, or if youre feeling really fancy, beer, bourbon, or wine.
- Finish: Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder or even more sauce.
- Variation tip: Sweet? Spicy? Hot? Use your favorite sauces to make these ribs your own.
- Air Fryer: It takes about 30 minutes in total to cook the ribs in the air fryer. Cook at 375°F for 25 minutes first, then increase the temperate to 400°F and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
You May Like: Porto Alegre Brazilian Grill And Bar
How To Cook Ribs On Gas Grill + Foil
Nothing says barbecue and grilling like ribs. And nothing is quite so satisfying as flavorful, moist, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. But getting ribs just right at home takes some ingenuity, patience, and a little bit of know-how.
There are many methods out there for perfecting your baby backs. Honestly, the method that works best for you will likely be a combination of multiple others.
Dont expect perfection on the first go. But if youre careful, its sure to be delectable no matter how you approach the recipe.
Differences Between Charcoal Natural Gas And Propane Grills
Just like there are different types of ribs, there are different types of grills you can cook them on. Charcoal, natural gas, and propane-powered grills are the most popular on the market today for a traditional grilling experience. Electric grills are also popular but offer a different final product than their more customary counterparts .
Lets look at how they compare:
- Charcoal grills are usually smaller and less expensive than gas or propane-fueled grills. However, they require a lot of space to use because they create a lot of smoke and its harder to control the temperature than it is with a gas or propane grill. It also takes more time for a charcoal grill to heat up once you light the coals usually between 15-30 minutes.
- Natural gas grills are less popular than propane grills but are usually cheaper to maintain. Depending on where you live, you may pay up to 30% less for natural gas than propane, which adds up if you grill often! Unfortunately, you need to install a natural gas line before you can set up one of these grills and once it is installed, you cant take your grill anywhere else.
- Propane grills are the uncontested most popular gas-fueled grills on the market. Its more expensive to buy or re-fill a propane tank thank it is to buy natural gas, but propane grills are portable perfect if you want to grill on the go.
Recommended Reading: Weber Gas Grills For Sale
How To Set Up A Gas Grill For Smoking Pork Ribs
To smoke pork ribs on a gas grill, you need to set up two different zones of heat. This requires at least two burners on your gas grill, but three is preferable.
The ribs will be placed over the inactive burner, cooking via indirect heat. The wood chips or pellets will be placed over the direct heat of the active burner, creating smoke.
Because there is no direct heat source, and the temperature is being kept low, the pork ribs can come up to temperature slowly. Rendering fat and breaking down connective tissue along the way, without burning them.
Begin Cooking The Ribs On The Grill
Preheat your BBQ grill to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then oil the grill.
You may need to increase the grills preheating temperature to get the wood to burn, and a temperature of around 375°F is ideal. Before putting the ribs on the grill, turn the heat down to 200°F once you observe smoke coming from the smoke bombs.
Another important consideration is placing the rack of ribs on the grill. To grill the ribs, use indirect medium heat. Direct heat or overheating will dry it out or overcook it before being served.
You May Like: Capital Grille In Cherry Hill
Tips For Making Bbq Ribs On A Gas Grill
The Wrap: In order to get the ribs tender, and to save the beautiful color, be sure you wrap them tightly with foil or butcher paper.
The Thermometer: Dont trust your grills thermometer, use a reliable leave-in thermometer so you know the temperature at the grill grates where the ribs are cooking.
The Smoke: Pellets or wood chips, fancy box or foil packet, just leave it over the direct heat of the grill and it will produce a nice smoke for your ribs. You dont need to see so much smoke that you think somethings on fire. Clean smoke is almost transparent, and clean smoke is a must for good flavor.
The Moisture: Gas grills tend to offer a pretty dry cooking environment, because they dont seal like a Kamado style grill. This means youll need to spritz the ribs every hour to keep them moist.
The Zones: Two zone cooking is a must, if you want more information about two zone cooking, I encourage you to read that blog.
The Lid: Keep it closed as much as possible. Once you close the lid, dont be peeking in on the ribs, no matter how tempting. That lets the heat and smoke out.
The Doneness: Check here for an in-depth look into how to tell when pork ribs are done. The bottom line, they should be super tender and juicy, but not fall off the bone. You want to be able to bite into them, without the meat falling apart.
How To Make Steak And Potato Packets :
Tear off 4 large square sheets of aluminum foil. Drizzle all 4 foil aluminum square pieces with olive oil. Put 1 Tablespoon of butter on each foil sheet. Dice potatoes into cubes . Leaving the skin on. Divide up the cubed potatoes and place on top of the butter on each aluminum foil square.
Evenly sprinkle minced garlic and diced onion over each of the four servings. Then sprinkle with kosher salt & pepper. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil.
Put steak pieces on top of potatoes. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and your favorite steak seasoning. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and put another pat of butter on top. Also, another good tip to keep your meat from getting dried out while cooking is to add a large ice cube on top of the meat!
Fold up each of the sides to make a nice little bed for the potatoes, making a square, so none of the butter and oil can escape while cooking. Preheat grill to medium-high heat Grill packets for about 35-45 minutes. Check periodically for doneness. Be careful when opening the packets because the steam is gonna come outta there fast and furious.
Also Check: Applebee’s Grill + Bar Auburn
What We Love About This Beef Ribs On The Grill Recipe
The gas grill can be just as effective for making ribs as a smoker or a charcoal grill. There are many ways to create amazing ribs, check here.
Get our best easy recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
- Game Day Favorite: Everyone will love these amazing ribs.
- Favorite Ingredients: You use your favorite ingredients to make memorable ribs.
- Family Friendly: Finger food is always a favorite.
- Adaptable: Can make it sweet, hot or however you like.
Why Slow Cooking Ribs On A Gas Grill Is The Way To Go
Cooking ribs is quite the event. Theyre a big chunk of meat, full of flavor but also contain lots of fat and connective tissues.
With the wrong cooking method, they can come out tough and chewy an epic disappointment. But when theyre good, theyre unbelievably good.
So whats required to get them right?
The answer is time and careful preparation. This isnt a dish where you can take shortcuts. You cant move them to direct heat to hasten their progress. All of the connective tissues in the ribs need time to break down during the cooking process.
Its also important to realize that while ribs are commonly associated with grilling, throwing them on the grill isnt the simplest way to get the best results.
The beauty of cooking ribs is all of the flavors that can be captured and turned into a delicious sauce and glaze. There should never be a need for a bottle of sugary sauce when you cook your baby back ribs from scratch.
But to do this, youve got to fully embrace low and slow indirect cooking methods. In technical terms, the best way to cook ribs is via braising, not grilling. High-temperature direct heat is not your friend with ribs.
With that in mind, charcoal doesnt make much sense.
These ribs are going to bubble away for hours. Do you want to be tinkering with keeping your coals at just the right temperature for that long?
Don’t Miss: Oklahoma Joe Smoker Grill Combo
How To Gas Grill The Best Pork Ribs Ever
So now, let’s get to this delicious grilled pork rib recipe! I know that grilling pork ribs can seem intimidating. I hesitated to grill ribs for a long time. I just thought there were too many steps and that I needed to learn how to use a smoker or to create some sort of makeshift smoker. All of that is well and good, but it’s not absolutely necessary to create delicious, tender, flavorful pork ribs. And yes, you can do it on a gas grill! Just make sure your propane tank is full and I’m gonna show you how you can do this without any fancy tools or tricks.
How To Cook Ribs On A Gas Grill
It can be challenging to get an authentic BBQ flavor when you cook ribs on a gas grill. The reason is that gas grills are perfect for fast and hot cooking, but getting delicious and tender ribs requires slow grilling at a low temperature.
However, you can still use a gas grill for ribs provided you take specific steps to grill it low and slow. You should indirectly cook your ribs, so the grills heat is not directly under the baby back ribs but instead on the grills other side. Otherwise, the ribs may burn with high temperatures.
Ensure that the gas grill you would be using contains at least two burners and is spacious enough to hold the rack of ribs on one side with sufficient space on the other.
A full rack of trimmed spareribs is used in this guide. However, you can still apply the same method to a baby back rib or other types of ribs you like.
While the trimmed spareribs take between an hour and a half to two hours to cook, you would need to reduce the cooking time for baby back ribs by about 5 minutes per step.
Also Check: Pork Chops On Gas Grill