Dinosaur-Style Ribs
This is our reason for being. If you’re a rib joint, you’d better have great ribs. What we strive for every day is a perfect balance of spice, smoke, sauce, and pull-off-the-bone tender pork. Here’s the blueprint and some tips to achieve some beautiful barbecue. All you need are a few hours and a dedicated pit boss spirit. A couple of beers won’t hurt either.
Recipe information
Yield
feeds 2 to 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Read The Techniques of Outdoor Cookin’ (page 12) and Rib Pit Boss Tips (page 92).
Step 2
Pull off the grill rack and fire up the grill; then prepare the smoking packets by putting 3 cups of hickory wood chips in a bowl and covering them with water. Soak for at least half an hour. Drain well and divide between 2 squares of aluminum foil. Form into 2 individual packets, poking holes in one side. Set aside.
Step 3
Get back inside to work on the ribs. Rub the ribs all over with the rub, making sure you are getting it into every surface. (You can even do this step well in advance.) Use just enough to coat the ribs evenly.
Step 4
Spread out the coals once they’re good and hot, piling them on one side of the bottom of the grill. Set the wood chip packets on top of the coals. Stick a drip pan filled with 1/2 inch of water on the side opposite the coals. This will catch the drips from the ribs and keep things moist inside the grill. Reposition the grill rack over the coals and the drip pan. Cover the grill and let the fire simmer down a bit.
Step 5
Grab the ribs and position them on the rack over the drip pan. Cover the grill and test its internal temperature by dropping an instant-read thermometer down through a vent hole. You want the grill to be from 225° to 250°.
Step 6
Walk away from the grill and let the heat and smoke do their thing. Come back to check on the ribs in about 45 minutes. Then check on things once every hour. If the ribs are looking a bit thirsty, mop lightly with the Mop Sauce. If the temperature of the grill is dipping below 225°, add a few more hot coals to the fire.
Step 7
Test the ribs for doneness once they’ve been cooking for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. You’ll know they are done if you can gently tear the meat between the bones or poke your finger through the meat, or if they’ve reached an internal temperature of at least 180°, or if they bend nicely when you grab them in the middle with a pair of tongs. Once you’ve determined that they’re done, get out the Mutha Sauce and pick a finishing touch from the two suggestions in the Rib Pit Boss Tips (page 92).
Step 8
Pour another beer, then pull those tasty ribs off the grill, and you’re ready to eat.
