Pork Ribs

Everyone’s Favourite

A delicious addition to any meal

Smokey barbecue pork ribs are a delicious addition to any meal and a real crowd pleaser. Along with looking the part with a sweet-smoky flavour, the key to a perfect barbecue pork rib is getting the texture on the bite just right, which should be soft when bitten and “nearly-but-not-quite” falling off the bone. Not all pork ribs are created equally, so for the purpose of the below method I am using Wichita Packing Company St. Louis-style ribs.

Lessssshko!

Tools:

Barbecue
Coal (A 50/50 mix of briquettes & lump)
Cherry, Apple or Feijoa wood splits
Quality thick barbecue foil

Ingredients:

1.2kg full St.  Louis rib rack
American mustard
Rum & Que Rib Rocker Rub

Spritz:

50/50 Apple Juice/water

Sauce:

100g Butter
Rum & Que Meat Juice
Can of Coke (Sugar free)

 

Method:

* Some pitmasters like to remove the membrane from the underside of the rib cage before starting, I personally do not – to each their own.

  1. Lather the meat side of the rack with a good amount of the American Mustard (I use powder-free nitrile gloves for this phase)
  2. Over the mustard evenly coat with the Rib Rocker
  3. Pre-heat your barbecue to 135c (275f) – 150c (300f). Use the barbecue vents to achieve a stable result.
  4. Place the ribs meat-side up on the grill a good distance away from the coals (indirect) and add your choice of wood splits for smoke, close the lid.
  5. Around the one hour mark, check and spritz the rib surface and edges. The ribs should be shrinking back from the bones and a nice bark from the rub forming with a deep auburn colouring.
  6. Lay down two lengths of foil on a bench (ensure these can wrap the entire rack), place 4 x 25g sticks of butter on the foil, add a decent squirt of Meat Juice and a few splashes of Coke.
  7. At 1 hour & 30, remove the ribs from the barbecue, place meat-side down on to the foil, wrap tightly with the first length of foil (careful around the bones, as they can pierce the wrap and you’ll need to start again), then again with the second.
  8. Place ribs back on to the barbecue, meat-side down this time, for a further 45mins.
  9. With heat-proof gloves bend the foil wraps, it should bend with little resistance.
  10. In a foil or oven tray, carefully open the wrap, you do not want to lose any of the sauce and it will be scolding hot!
  11. Move ribs to a decent size chopping board, meat-side down then with a sharp blade slice the ribs
    in to individual portions.
  12. Baste each of the ribs in the remaining sauce and serve with a tangy coleslaw, barbecue corn, potato salad and plenty of coldies!

Kezza Packer
BBQ Writer