Barbecue Championship Ribs Recipes

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• For the basic BBQ rub: Using a coffee grinder, grind the turbinado sugar with a few "pulses" until it is lightly powdered. Combine with the granulated sugar, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, black pepper, mustard, chili powder, cumin and paprika in a bowl and hand stir until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.
• For the BBQ mother sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low if the onion is cooking too fast--you don't want it caramelized or browned. As the onion is getting close, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add the ketchup, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper and stir well. Slowly add up to 1/2 cup water until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. A slightly thick consistency is best. Add about 3 tablespoons of the basic BBQ rub, stir well and taste. The sauce should have a good, well-rounded flavor. Add more of the basic BBQ rub in 1-tablespoon increments until your desired flavor is achieved, up to about 1/2 cup total. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• For the ribs: Rinse the ribs and remove the membrane from the back. Trim any excess fat from the tops of the slabs. Trim 1 bone from the large end of the ribs and 2 bones from the small end. This will give you a much more consistent slab for cooking.
• Starting on the backs, sprinkle the slabs of ribs with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the basic BBQ rub each, then add 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard each and massage into the meat. Flip the ribs over and repeat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. For a contest, I marinate ribs like this for 12 to 16 hours.
• Prepare a smoker to run at 225 degrees F with around 4 chunks of apple wood and 4 chunks of cherry wood so that the wood will smolder throughout the cooking. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, unwrap and repeat the basic BBQ rub and mustard procedure, massaging them in. Don't get it too thick or paste-like, as this will give you a dark appearance when cooked. Place the ribs in the smoker meat-side up and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and increase the temperature to 250 degrees F. Apply the basic BBQ rub and mustard to both sides of the ribs as before. On the top sides, slather approximately 1 tablespoon of honey over the surface of each slab, then sprinkle heavily with the turbinado sugar. Lay each slab of ribs meat-side up on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the edges. Pour approximately 1 to 2 ounces of the grape juice into the bottom of each foil package, then finish wrapping the ribs but don't crimp the edges--you want steam to be able to escape.
• Return the ribs to the cooker for 2 hours, then test for tenderness. (I cook ribs in this stage until they look overdone and too tender. Don't worry, they'll tighten up. If they still have too much texture, leave them in for 20 to 30 more minutes.) Remove the ribs from the cooker, open the foil and drain off the liquid. Using the foil as a tool, "roll" the ribs over so the bone side is up, glaze with the BBQ mother sauce, then roll them back over and glaze the tops. Using long tongs, carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place them back in the smoker for 15 minutes. This will let the glaze cook onto the ribs and let the ribs tighten back up. Remove from the cooker and allow to rest for 5 minutes, apply a very thin coat of sauce to "glisten" the ribs, then lightly sprinkle with chipotle powder before serving.

BEST BARBECUE RIBS EVER

Steps:

• Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the oregano, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl and rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. In a roasting pan, combine the broth and vinegar. Add the ribs to the pan. Cover with foil and tightly seal. Bake 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the pan and place them on a platter. Pour the liquid from the pan into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the barbecue sauce.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high. Put the ribs on the grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side, until browned and slightly charred. Cut the ribs between the bones and toss them in a large bowl with the sauce. Serve hot.

FALL-OFF-THE-BONE STICKY BARBECUE RIBS

Steps:

• If there's a thin membrane on the back of the ribs, peel this off as best you can. The length of the ribs will be determined by the size of your roasting tin and barbecue - leave them whole or cut in half or thirds. Tip the ribs into a large, deep roasting tin. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl until completely combined, then pour this over the ribs. Toss the ribs in the sauce using your hands to ensure they're completely coated. Cover the tin with foil, shiny-side down. To cook straightaway, simply leave to marinate while the oven heats up, or chill the ribs overnight.
• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake the ribs for 2 hrs 30 mins-3 hrs, turning once or twice until the bones are exposed and the meat is pull-apart tender. When the ribs are cooked, leave to cool a little, then lift onto a tray using tongs. Pour the sauce from the tin into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally until thickened. Leave to cool. The sauce and ribs can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
• Light the barbecue and wait until the coals are ashen, or set a gas barbecue to medium. Put as many ribs on the grill as you can fit, then brush generously with the sauce. Working quickly, grill the ribs, basting with more sauce and turning every minute or so until the ribs are well-coated, charred at the edges, caramelised and sticky. Repeat with any remaining ribs and sauce if they didn't all fit on the grill at once. Serve piled high on a platter with the reserved sauce on the side for slathering on top. Any leftover sauce will keep chilled in the fridge for up to a week.

BARBECUE CHAMPIONSHIP RIBS

Steps:

• Prepare your cooker to cook indirectly at 235 degrees F using medium pecan wood for smoke flavor.
• Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs and trim any excess fat. Season the ribs liberally on both sides with the barbecue rub. Place the ribs in the smoker, meat-side up, and cook for 2 hours. Flip the ribs and cook for 45 minutes.
• Lay out two double-thick sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay one slab on each piece of foil, meat-side up. Top each slab with half of the brown sugar. Drizzle each slab with half of the honey, butter, and Tiger Sauce. Close up the rib packages, pressing out as much air as possible. Do not seal the packages tightly; they need to breathe a little.
• Return to the cooker for 30 minutes. Open the packages and check for doneness by pushing a toothpick into the meat. It should go in and out very easily. If you want the ribs more tender, just wrap them back up and cook a little longer. When they're as you like them, transfer to a sheet pan. Remove the foil and return the ribs to the cooker meat-side down. Brush the bone side liberally with barbecue sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the ribs and brush the meat side liberally with barbecue sauce. Cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice each rib individually and transfer to a platter to serve.
• This rub is extra-sweet and goes really well with ribs and other cuts of pork. It is a good choice if you like to serve your ribs dry. The sweetness will have the guests thinking you used barbecue sauce. This one isn't recommended for hot grilling because all that sugar makes it burn pretty easily. I like to mix it in the food processor for a finer grind, but if you like it coarse just mix it in a bowl.
• Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade. Process for 5 seconds, until the lumps are gone. The rub may be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 6 months.
• This is a big, thick, red barbecue sauce made with fresh ingredients and a lot of love in your kitchen. Every barbecue cook I have ever known has a mother sauce they've been working on for years and this would be a great place to start on yours. You can skip the liquid smoke if you like, but I think it adds a nice layer to barbecue sauce.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the celery seed and mix well. Cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, vinegar, honey, mustard, apple juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato paste, liquid smoke (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, mixing often, until thickened. Remove from the heat and serve or cool and store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

THE ULTIMATE BARBECUED RIBS

Steps:

• Special equipment: Kitchen twine
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven, and let the ribs bake, low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring, for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.
• Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven. You can let them hang out like this until you're ready to eat.
• When ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce. They should become crisp and charred, about 5 minutes on each side. Pick the onion and garlic out of the sauce and serve with ribs.