Memphis Style Barbecue Ribs Recipes

MEMPHIS-STYLE BARBECUE RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a roasting pan or a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and set aside. (This may require more than one pan if you're making a lot of ribs.)
• Rinse ribs and pat dry with paper towels, and remove any silver skin from the backs. (You should be able to remove this with your fingers.)
• If you want, trim the ribs into 4-5 rib sections.
• Season the ribs liberally with Memphis-style barbecue rub. You'll use about 1 tablespoon per pound.
• Arrange the ribs on the roasting pan or prepared baking sheet(s), and cover with aluminum foil. Transfer to the preheated oven, and bake for 5 hours.
• Once the ribs have baked for 5 hours, remove from the oven. Brush the ribs with ¾ cup barbecue sauce, then sprinkle with additional barbecue rub.
• Transfer the pan(s) back into the oven, and cook uncovered for an additional 2 hours or until the ribs are tender. The meat will start pulling off the bones, and once it does, you'll know your ribs are almost ready!
• When the second bake is done, remove from the oven.
• Preheat the grill to 350°-400°F.
• Turn off the burners on the side where the ribs will be finished, as the barbecue sauce will cause them to catch fire.
• Baste the ribs with an additional ¾ cup of the barbecue sauce, and grill until sticky sweet and darkened. (About 10-15 minutes.)
• Sprinkle with additional barbecue rub to finish, and enjoy!
• Preheat the oven's broiler.
• While the broiler is heating up, brush the ribs with an additional ¾ cup of the barbecue sauce.
• When the broiler is screaming hot, transfer the ribs back into the oven, and broil for 8 minutes, or until the tops of the ribs are browned and sticky.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with additional barbecue rub to finish, and enjoy!

MEMPHIS-STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• Your ribs may already be trimmed, or you can ask the butcher to trim them. To do it yourself, place the ribs meat-side up on a cutting board. There is a line of fat at the base of the ribs; cut along it to remove the cartilaginous rib tips. Turn the meat over, rib-side up. Cut off the flap of meat on the inside of the ribs. (The reason to remove these pieces is that they will burn, well before the ribs are done. You can season them and grill them over direct heat for about 15 minutes, turning once. They are delicious.) With the rib-side up, finesse a sharp knife under the tough membrane that covers the bones. Working from one rib to the next, pull the membrane off the rib. (For a better grip, grab the membrane with a paper towel.) The membrane may tear and you may have to start over, but be patient - removing the membrane allows the spices and smoke to penetrate the ribs, and makes the ribs much more attractive and easy to eat.
• In a shallow, non-reactive pan large enough to hold the ribs, mix together 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup cider, garlic, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and the salt. Put the ribs in this marinade, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 16 hours, turning once during this time.
• Remove the ribs from the pan 2 hours before you are going to grill and pat dry. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle the ribs all over with 1/2 cup of the rub, patting it on with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour before grilling.
• Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 3/4 cup cider, and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. You will apply this mixture to the ribs once every hour or so with a spray bottle, a barbecue mop, a pastry brush or a long-handled spoon.
• Soak about 3 cups of wood chips (hickory, oak or apple) for at least 1/2 hour in cold water.
• Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for indirect grilling over low heat. Drain and add 1 cup of the wood chips.
• Grill the ribs, covered, until they are crispy, and the meat has pulled back from the bone, 3 to 4 hours, depending on the heat of your grill. Spray or baste the ribs with the vinegar-cider mixture every hour, and turn them once during grilling. Don't forget to add more wood chips--and, if using charcoal, more coals--as needed (check every hour or so). You should have enough soaked wood chips for about 3 hours of cooking time; if your ribs take longer, you will need to soak more chips.
• If the ribs are done before you are ready to eat, wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil and leave them over very low, indirect heat for up to 1 hour.
• Remove the ribs from the grill, spray or baste with any remaining basting liquid, and sprinkle with the remaining the 1/4 cup of rub. Serve as is, or with Vinegar Sauce.
• Mix together all of the ingredients in an airtight container and store at room temperature. The rub will keep for several months.
• Yield: about 1 cup, enough for 8 pounds of Memphis-Style Ribs.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Use immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

OVEN BAKED MEMPHIS STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• First, we start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, take the spare ribs and wash them thoroughly. Run them under cold water and hand rub both sides.
• Remove the thin flap of meat on the back side; the piece that emulates flank steak. After, remove the thin, transparent film also located on the backside of the ribs. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! (If you dont, your ribs will be tough and bitter).
• Rub a small amount (1 cup total) of apple vinegar over both sides of the ribs. The vinegar draw the pork blood from the meat, and also acts as a tenderizer; and adds flavor.
• Sprinkle 3 table spoons of rub seasoning on the front, three on the back, and take about 2-3 minutes to rub it into, and spread thoroughly, on each side.
• Place ribs in a baking pan and cover with foil.
• Place ribs on a rack positioned in the middle of the oven.
• To create the mop, take 1 table spoon of your rub, add 1 cup of apple vinegar, and one table spoon yellow mustard. Mix together well.
• After 2 hours of cooking, remove the ribs and drain the juices from the pan. Apply mop mixture lightly to the meaty side of the ribs using a soaked paper towel, etc. When finished, recover with foil, place back in oven on middle rack, reset timer for another 2 hours.
• Once the second duration of 2 hours has finished, remove foil, remove ribs and drain the excess juice. Re apply mop lightly. return to over WITHOUT foil covering it. Switch oven to BROIL- High mode and broil for 10-15 minutes (or until you find the outer side crispy enough).
• remove from oven, sprinkle remaining table spoon of rub spices over front and back of ribs, and let sit uncovered for approximately 10 minutes.
• Enjoy.

MEMPHIS-STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the ribs and rub: Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers.
• 2. Combine the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.
• 3. Prepare the mop sauce (if using): Mix together the cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• 4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a large drip pan in the center.
• If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
• If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium.
• 5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the ribs for 1 hour.
• 6. When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill and brush the ribs with the mop sauce (if using). Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, 1/4 to 1/2 hour longer for baby back ribs, 1/2 to 1 hour longer for spareribs. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.
• 7. To serve, cut the racks in half or, for a plate-burying effect, just leave them whole.

MEMPHIS STYLE BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Remove the membrane from the back of the slab of ribs. Just work your finger up under the paper thin membrane and peel off.
• Combine next 8 ingredients and rub into the ribs on both sides. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill over night.
• Remove plastic and let come to room temp before grilling.
• Prepare smoker or grill using indirect heating method.
• Smoke ribs at 225-230 for 4-5 hours, turning and basting every 50 minutes. You can use a Webber-style grill, but you'll have to cut back on the recommended number of briquettes to keep the heat down. Use hickory, apple, or pecan for the smoke.
• For the basting sauce: combine the cider, water, rub, salt, and liquid smoke.
• Ribs are done when meat has pulled back from the ends of the rib bones 1/4"-3/8" and when you give a bone a twist it comes free from the meet.
• Remove, sprinkle with a little salt, brush with honey, and wrap in foil and let rest for 15 - 20 minute.
• Slice in one or two bone sections--enjoy!