The Perfect Baby Back Ribs

From the Man Cave Grill of Ben Allen

Yes, you can make perfect baby back ribs on your grill or smoker. It takes patience, time, correct preparation and cooking temperature consistency. Plus, this is just downright fun.

When you master this, you will never be satisfied with “store bought” ribs again.

What you need: {recipe adapted from TastyLicks BBQ}
White cooking vinegar
Famous Dave's Seasoning Rub, or your favorite rub
Mustard
16 oz Apple Juice
16 oz jar of wood chips, soaked in water 1 hour (our favorite is apple or pecan)
Basting spray (1 ounce lemon juice, 2 ounces soy or Dales sauce and 2 ounces apple juice)
4 oz honey
Basting brush
2 aluminum drip pans
Rack of baby back ribs (I get from Sam’s that are very “meaty” for BB Ribs)
4.5 hours of patience and fun

Getting started:
Remove the membrane from back of ribs. We cut along a bone line 1/3 from the end of the ribs, and use paper towels to “grab” the membrane, and pull it off. DO NOT get lazy. Do what it takes to remove ALL or the membrane.

With ribs in aluminum drip pan meat side down, fill bottom of pan with white vinegar until 2/3 of the ribs are soaking. Soak meat side down for 20 minutes, flip and soak bone side down for 10 minutes. Remove, rinse with water and pat dry with paper towel.

Remove from drip pan, rinse it out, replace ribs on cooking grill, and cover both sides of them in mustard. Liberally cover both sides with your favorite rib rub.

Get fire hot in a spot to be sure chips burn and smoke appropriately. On a Big Green Egg, this will occur at around 450 degrees. Cover hot spot with soaked chips. Return the ribs to the grill, close the lid and embark on getting heat back down to 275 degrees.

Pour apple juice into drip pan and place drip pan on BGE platesetter. Grill with ribs on grilling rack directly above the drip pan with ribs bone side down. If you do not have a BGE or a placesetter, put ribs in rib rack, place rib rack inside the apple juice drip pan with ribs over, not in, apple juice, and drip pan resting on top of grilling rack. Monitor heat to return heat to 275 to 300 degrees.

The 4.5 hour process is the same for the first 3.5 hours. For the first 3 hours, open grill ONCE PER HOUR and spray with basting spray. At end of hour 2, remove the ribs, the grill and the placesetter CAREFULLY with cooking mitts. Pour more soaking chips on the charcoal “hotspot” to re-ignite the smoke. Get heat back down to 275 to 300 degrees and cook until end of hour 3, then open grill and spray for last time.

At 3.5 hours, remove the ribs and place them into another aluminum drip pan.

Liberally brush honey all over meat side of ribs (I microwave the honey for a few seconds to loosen it up), and cover again with favorite rub. Tightly place a piece aluminum foil sheet over pan that completely covers it with no seam. (use 2 sheets to be sure you have a seal, to capture all the heat and not let it escape).  Put back onto grill with indirect heat for 1 hour. Keep temperature at 275 to 300.

Remove from grill and CAREFULLY remove the aluminum foil (WATCH for steam).

Ready to eat OR cover those ribs you wish as BBQ with your favorite room temperature BBQ sauce. Mine is Goldie’s Trail BBQ from Vicksburg (available online). Let sit for 15 minutes then ENJOY. If you are traveling, rewrap in foil, place in empty ice chest, and take with you!