No barbecue bash would be complete without ribs, but trying to serve up the perfect rib can leave grillers reeling.
In "Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs" (Workmen, $12.95), author Steven Raichlen says that if there is one dish to master on the grill, it should be ribs. His description of what makes a perfect rib is tantalizing: "It should be handsome and dark, like polished mahogany, with a rough surface, like centennial tree bark."
Raichlen goes on to say ribs should be tender enough to pull apart, but still have a little chew to them.
Experts recommend grilling ribs over indirect heat at 250 degrees to 275 degrees. For indirect grilling on gas grills, preheat all burners and then turn off the middle burner (if you have three) and turn the heat to low. For charcoal grills, position the coals to one side, and place the ribs where there is no heat below them.
But before you cook 'em, you've got to buy 'em. Here's the lowdown on the varieties:
SPARE RIBS
They come from the rib section of the hog and have longer bones with more meat per bone. The meat is a little tougher, but marinating or brining will help. A typical rack will weigh about 5 pounds.
Spare ribs usually cost about $2.99 a pound. Look for packages that are uniform in size with little visible fat. Trim away the flap on the non-meaty side and the triangular tip or smaller point. Feel your way around the top side of the rib for the brisket bone or rib tip area; cut this off, too. You can season these pieces with a rub and toss them on the grill alongside the slow-cooking ribs.
DR PEPPER AND BOURBON SOAKED SPARE RIBS
1 slab spare ribs (about 4 pounds), trimmed
Marinade:
1 cup Dr Pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
1 medium onion, peeled, pureed in a food processor, or substitute onion juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
Rub and sauce:
1/3 cup all-purpose barbecue rub
1 cup (or more to taste) Neely's Barbecue Sauce (see recipe, below)
In a sealable plastic bag, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Trim the ribs of the back flap. If desired, trim away the point end and the brisket portion. Put the ribs and the trimmed pieces in the marinade. Marinate 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to grill, remove the ribs and trimmed pieces from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the rub all over the ribs and pieces, pressing it in. Set the ribs aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Prepare or preheat the grill for low indirect grilling, or about 250 to 275 degrees. Place the ribs away from the heat source and arrange the trimmed pieces around it (these will cook faster than the ribs; remove them from the grill after about 1 hour). Close the lid and grill about 2 1/2 hours.
After 1 1/2 to 2 hours check them to make sure they are not drying out. If they are, wrap them in foil and put them back over indirect heat. This will keep them moist. Start checking the ribs for doneness; the meat should shrink away from the bones and the ribs should bend easily when you pick them up with tongs.
About 25 minutes before they are done, start saucing the ribs. If they are wrapped in foil, remove the foil. Brush with the Neely's Barbecue Sauce, close the lid and continue grilling until the sauce sets in. Sauce them several times.
Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into serving portions.
Serves: 4 (generously, including ribs and sauce), each with 498 calories, 23 grams fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 31 grams protein, 156 mg sodium, 102 mg cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.
-- From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Detroit Free Press Test Kitchen.
NEELY'S BARBECUE SAUCE
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon favorite barbecue seasoning
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, stir frequently to prevent burning, reduce heat to very low simmer. Cook uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool. Store in a tightly sealed container up to 2 months in the refrigerator.
Makes 2 cups. Analysis per 1 tablespoon: 34 calories, 9 grams carbohydrates, 179 mg sodium.
--From "Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook" by Patrick and Gina Neely (Knopf, $27.95).
ST. LOUIS-STYLE SPARE RIBS
"The St. Louis style are a bit meatier," says Brian Perrone, head chef at Slows Bar BBQ in Detroit. "Generally these are not as tender as the baby backs, which have a bit more fat."
St. Louis-style ribs are trimmed of the back flap meat, the point and the rib tips. Once trimmed, the ribs are uniform in size and have a nice rectangular shape. Trimmed, a St. Louis rack of ribs weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and runs about $4 per pound.
BABY BACKS OR LOIN RIBS
The most tender of them all and a crowd favorite. Baby backs are from the top loin section of the hog and usually cost $3.99-$4.99 per pound. One rack weighs about 2 pound plus and has about 10 to 13 bones. Look for baby backs that have good fat marbling and are uniform in size. You should not see any bones popping through the meat. Baby backs need very little trimming.
You can adjust this marinade to your liking, adding more chili sauce and chipotle flakes for a more pronounced spicy kick.
SPICY BABY BACK RIBS WITH ORANGE GLAZE
2 slabs (2 pounds each) baby back ribs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Marinade and glaze:
1 1/2 cups orange or tangerine juice
1/2 cup Asian-style sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
In a glass measure, combine all the marinade ingredients. Remove half of the marinade and set it aside in the refrigerator. Place the ribs in a sealable plastic bag. You can fold them or cut them in half to fit better. Pour the marinade over the ribs. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat or prepare the grill for indirect heat over low to low-medium heat. The heat should be at a constant 250 to 275 degrees with the heat source at one side of the grill.
Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
Brush the cooking grates clean and oil them. Place the ribs, meaty side up, on the grill away from the heat source. Close the lid and grill for about 2 hours (for whole racks). Check periodically that the heat is not getting too high.
Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Whisk in the Dijon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until it's slightly reduced and has a glaze consistency.
Check the ribs for doneness. The bones should start pulling away from the meat and the meat should be tender, but still hold together.
Brush the ribs with the glaze and close the lid. Continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the glaze sets in. Glaze the ribs several times this way. Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional glaze if desired.
Serves: 4 generously, each with 6.5 ounces of rib meat, 529 calories, 37 grams fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 1,217 mg sodium, 132 mg cholesterol.
-- From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
COUNTRY OR WESTERN RIBS
These are more in the pork chop family and cut from the shoulder area of the hog and the very end of the loin. They run about $2.40 a pound. They are thicker and have more fat than the spare or baby back rib. Generally, you don't eat them with your hands like other ribs. Each one usually weighs about half a pound. The trouble with these is that they are not uniform. They are usually cut into individual portions and are sold with or without the bone.
Look for tamarind juice in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores.
TAMARIND-GLAZED COUNTRY-STYLE RIBS
12 country-style pork ribs with bone, about 4 pounds total
Marinade:
1 cup tamarind juice
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade in the refrigerator for brushing on the ribs during grilling. Put the ribs in a sealable plastic bag and pour the remaining marinade over them. Marinate 4 hours and up to overnight.
Prepare the grill for indirect grilling over medium heat, about 325 degrees. (The heat will be on one side of the grill and the ribs off to another side.)
Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and let the ribs sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.
Brush the cooking grates clean and oil them. Place the ribs on the grill over indirect medium heat with the lid closed for 20 minutes. Turn the ribs over, brush with some of the reserved marinade and continue to cook for another 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
Remove the ribs from the grill, tightly wrap with foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Serves: 6 (generously), each with 551 calories, 31 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 52 grams protein, 328 mg sodium, 179 mg cholesterol.
-- Adapted from "Weber's Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling" by Jamie Purviance (Sunset, $24.95).
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