Barbecued Baby Back Ribs for Gas Grill
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Brine
½ cup table salt or 1 cup kosher salt, for brining½ cup granulated sugar, for brining4 pounds baby back ribs (about 2 racks), or loin back ribsSpice rub
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon sweet paprika 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder 1 ¾ teaspoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar ¾ teaspoon table salt or 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt¾ teaspoon dried oregano ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground white pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepperBefore You Begin
For a potent spice flavor, brine and dry the ribs as directed, then coat them with the spice rub, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight before grilling. If you're using a gas grill, leaving one burner on and turning the other(s) off mimics the indirect heat method on a charcoal grill. Use wood chips instead of wood chunks and a disposable aluminum pan to hold them.
Instructions
- To brine the ribs: Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water in stockpot or large plastic container. Submerge ribs in brine and refrigerate 1 hour until fully seasoned. Remove ribs from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
- While ribs are brining, cover two cups wood chips with water and soak 30 minutes, then drain. Combine spice rub ingredients in small bowl. When ribs are out of brine and dried, rub each side of racks with 1 tablespoon spice rub; refrigerate racks 30 minutes.
- 3.To barbecue the ribs: Place soaked wood chips in small disposable aluminum pan, (or homemade container as illustrated below); set pan on burner that will remain on. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat grill until chips smoke heavily, about 20 minutes. (If chips ignite, extinguish flames with water from squirt bottle.) Scrape grill grate clean with wire brush; turn off burner(s) without wood chips.
- Arrange ribs on cool side of grill and cover (grill temperature should register about 275 degrees on grill thermometer). Cook for 4 hours, until meat easily pulls away from bone, flipping rib racks, switching their position so that rack that was nearest fire is on outside, and turning racks 180 degrees every 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to cutting board, then cut between bones to separate ribs; serve.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Brine
Spice rub
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Brine
Spice rub
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Brine
Spice rub
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a baby back ribs recipe that would produce juicy, tender, and fully seasoned meat, with an intense smokiness; in short, ribs that would be well worth the time, money, and effort. For ribs that were so flavorful they wouldn’t even need barbecue sauce, we first brined them in a salt, sugar, and water solution, then rubbed them with a spice and sugar mix before barbecuing. A "low and slow" cooking method ensured that our baby back ribs would be moist.
Before You Begin
For a potent spice flavor, brine and dry the ribs as directed, then coat them with the spice rub, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight before grilling. If you're using a gas grill, leaving one burner on and turning the other(s) off mimics the indirect heat method on a charcoal grill. Use wood chips instead of wood chunks and a disposable aluminum pan to hold them.
Instructions
- To brine the ribs: Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water in stockpot or large plastic container. Submerge ribs in brine and refrigerate 1 hour until fully seasoned. Remove ribs from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
- While ribs are brining, cover two cups wood chips with water and soak 30 minutes, then drain. Combine spice rub ingredients in small bowl. When ribs are out of brine and dried, rub each side of racks with 1 tablespoon spice rub; refrigerate racks 30 minutes.
- 3.To barbecue the ribs: Place soaked wood chips in small disposable aluminum pan, (or homemade container as illustrated below); set pan on burner that will remain on. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat grill until chips smoke heavily, about 20 minutes. (If chips ignite, extinguish flames with water from squirt bottle.) Scrape grill grate clean with wire brush; turn off burner(s) without wood chips.
- Arrange ribs on cool side of grill and cover (grill temperature should register about 275 degrees on grill thermometer). Cook for 4 hours, until meat easily pulls away from bone, flipping rib racks, switching their position so that rack that was nearest fire is on outside, and turning racks 180 degrees every 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to cutting board, then cut between bones to separate ribs; serve.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments