Competition Bar B Q Ribs Recipes

AWARD WINNING COMPETITION RIBS RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep. Remove the membrane from the slabs of ribs (read more on removing the membrane here).
• Season the ribs with Kosher salt. If you can, give the salt 1 to 2 hours to be absorbed. The process of salting in advance is called dry brining. The rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, but ribs consist of only about 50% meat, so use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound. You can simply eyeball it by sprinkling on the same amount of salt you would sprinkle on the ribs if they were served to you unseasoned.
• Fire up. Prepare a smoker for indirect cooking. Alternatively, you can set up a charcoal grill for 2-zone cooking by placing a chimney full of lit charcoal briquets on one side of the grill's charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Adjust the smoker or grill vents to bring the temperature to about 225°F (107.2°C) and add two to three chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal for flavor. On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs so that one half of the grill is off and the other half is heated enough to maintain a temperature of approximately 225°F (107.2°C) on the indirect side.
• Once the smoker or grill is ready, brush both sides of ribs with mayonnaise and season with Meathead's Memphis Dust dry rub.
• Cook. Place the slabs of ribs meat side up on the main cooking grate as far away from the heat source as possible. Cover the smoker or grill. Allow the ribs to smoke until the meat just begins to shrink back from the ends of the bones, about 3 1/2 hours.
• Lay out two double layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil approximately eight inches longer than the ribs. Cut the stick of butter into 1/2 tablespoon pieces and top each double layer of foil with two tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of honey drizzled over the butter, and two tablespoons brown sugar sprinkled over the top. Lay the ribs meat side down on the butter, honey and brown sugar mixture. Place another two tablespoons margarine, a tablespoon of honey, and two tablespoons brown sugar evenly on top of the bone side of each slab of ribs. Fold up the sides of the foil to create a boat, pour in the apple juice, and loosely seal the foil.
• Place the foiled ribs sealed side up on the smoker or grill and cook until the ribs shrink back from the ends of the bones by 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6.4 to 12.7 mm), about 1 hour.
• Remove the ribs from the smoker or grill and cautiously open the foil packet to allow the steam to escape. Remove the ribs from the foil and set them back on the smoker or grill meat side up. Cover the smoker or grill and allow the ribs to cook until tender but not falling off the bone, about 20 minutes. We prefer to use the "bend test." Use tongs to pick up one end of the slab of ribs, then bend them slightly. If they are ready, the slab with bow until the meat starts to crack on the surface.
• When they are ready, brush sauce on both sides of the ribs and turn them meat side up on the smoker or grill. Cover the smoker or grill and cook until the sauce sets and becomes tacky, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Serve. Remove the ribs from the smoker or grill, and slice. For competition, set 4 to 5 ribs side-by-side in the turn in box and top with another 4 to 5 ribs.

BARBECUE RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut spareribs into serving size portions, wrap in double thickness of foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap, and drain drippings. (I usually freeze the drippings to use later in soups.) Place ribs in a large roasting pan.
• In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rum, chile sauce, garlic, mustard, and pepper. Coat ribs with sauce and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat grill for medium heat. Position grate four inches above heat source.
• Brush grill grate with oil. Place ribs on grill, and cook for 30 minutes, basting with marinade.

COMPETITION BAR-B-Q RIBS

Steps:

• Raw Preparation: Place slab of ribs bone side down on table.
• Slide knife under the membrane and against the end bone to separate the 2.
• With a dry paper towel, grasp the edge of the thin membrane and pull.
• The entire membrane should separate from the rib.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Combine First Stage rub and mix well.
• Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs.
• Gently pat to ensure that rub will adhere.
• Place ribs meat-side up on a broiler pan and bake for 2 1/4 hours.
• Remove ribs from oven.
• Place each rib meat-side down on its own doubled aluminum foil square.
• Foil should be large enough to completely wrap rib.
• Mix the Second Stage juices.
• Pour 1 cup of liquid over each rib.
• At the same time wrap and seal each rib tight.
• Return to the oven for 1 hour.
• Remove wrapped ribs from oven.
• Remove from foil and apply a medium coat of the Third Stage rub mixed with 3/4 cup of first stage ingredients to the meat-side of the ribs.
• Place uncovered in the oven meat-side up for 30 minutes.
• Remove ribs from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Brush finishing glaze on both sides of ribs.
• Place ribs in oven for 10 minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.

BAR "B" BARN RIBS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or stock pot, cover ribs with cold water; add thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, celery and onion.
• Bring to gentle boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until ribs are tender.
• Remove ribs place in shallow glass dish.
• Set aside.
• (Strain cooking liquid and refrigerate or freeze to use as soup stock).
• Sauce.
• In small saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients, bring to gentle boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to blend flavors.
• Let cool.
• Cut strips of ribs into serving portions of 3 to 4 ribs.
• Pour sauce all over ribs in dish and marinate for 3 to 4 hours in refrigerator or for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Remove ribs from sauce, reserving any remaining sauce.
• Cook ribs on greased grill over medium-hot coals or medium setting, turning and brushing occasionally with reserved sauce, for about 20 minutes or until meat is browned.
• NOTE:Double the sauce recipe for lots of basting sauce.