November 19th, 2009
Creating Magical Effects with BBQ Ribs
What happens the moment someone in your neighborhood lights up their grill? You begin to notice your other neighbors coming out to their front porch, their heads held high in the air…they are smelling that smell that brings back memories of childhood family cookouts. They too suddenly get the urge to pull their grill out from the garage. One of the most intoxicating scents is that of a long barbecue, that of slow cooking ribs. It is these backyard recipes that have stoked the fire so to speak, of the entire country.
In all cities now, there are gourmet BBQ restaurants, which take these age old recipes and place them on fine china plates. But there is not need to spend restaurant prices, when these recipes can be prepared at home on one of the many models of fire magic grills. What you will need is a grill with a cover, either propane for your gas grill or a bag of charcoal for your regular grill, a bit of vegetable oil, your own signature spices and sauce, some apple juice and some baby back ribs or beef cut ribs (fresh, not frozen). The baby back’s will need about three hours of cooking time, while the beef ribs will take a few hours more.
Rinse the ribs then trim the fat. Coat the ribs with a bit of vegetable oil as the spices and the flavors are oil soluble, and the flavors will soak into the meat and form a better and more flavorful crust. Set up the grill, the perfect temperature for slow-cooking is 225 degrees Fahrenheit, keep a thermometer close at hand and try to keep this temperature consistent throughout the grilling. If you are using a gas grill, place an aluminum tray with water on one of the grill racks as the steam will react with the combustion of the propane which will ensure the most tasty results.
For the charcoal grills, keep some wood chips on hand, you will add them periodically throughout the grilling for the smoky effects and flavors. Place the ribs on the cooler sides of the grills, and sit back and relax. After a few hours it is time to add the sauce to the top of the ribs, periodically brushing them for the rest of the cooking time. This is a process that takes dedication and patience, but after your first experience of making BBQ ribs at home, this may turn into to a weekly event.