desperate for the best bbq ribs

GW:

Liquid Smoke works well and tastes just fine, I use it during the winter when I can't BBQ outside. This video had to "bufffer" a couple times but it stopped and it's well worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMgi20XRJ-g

At Paula Dean's house. Make yourself at home and tell her I said it was ok.

[Deleted by the author on Jan 18, 2012 3:50:15 PM PST]

Either buy wood chunks or wood chips. If you get chips, soak them in water overnight and then scatter them around your coals and they'll create a nice smokey environment in your charcoal grill. If you get the chunks, wrap them in foil and poke holes and place them near your coals (the foil is so they don't catch fire - you want smoke, not fire). For ribs, I recommend Hickory or Mesquite. One more tip: If your ribs are tough, soak them in pineapple juice for 20-40 minutes (check the tenderness after 15 - you don't want them falling apart). Pineapple juice is a miracle worker in breaking down tough tissue.

The Big Green Egg rules!

http://www.youtube.com/user/bbqguys?v=vxl1iuQGF-0&feature=pyv&ad=6226227246&kw=the%20green%20egg%20smoker

But, if you ain't got the do-re-mi......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ka2kpzTAL8

I soak my ribs overnight in Liquid Smoke, I just use enough to be able to smear all over ribs. I cut ribs into 4-5" sections, line my crockpot with a crockpot liner, dump ribs and liquid smoke that it has been soaking into crock pot and set on low, if I am home after about 2 hours I will move ribs around so that they all sit in liquid at some point. Check after about 5 hrs and they will be falling off the bone. I move to grill, to grill on bbq sauce and to brown.

This is a gigantic hit in my house, alot easier then a smoker and defnitely better tasting then boiling them. Good luck

It makes me sad to see people recommending boiling their ribs. You lose so much of the flavor. It should never be done. Sorry. It's not barbecue.

There are ways to smoke ribs on a regular kettle-style charcoal grill. There is no need to buy a dedicated smoker (even though they ARE AWESOME) if you prepare smoked food rarely. Just do some research online. It is pretty easy to smoke a good rack of ribs on a Weber kettle.

So many rub recipes. So many different sauce recipes, though you should use sparingly. No need to hide that crust from your dry rub or the natural flavor of the meat. There are so many great BBQ sites and forums out there. Inquire there, and you will have people more than willing to help you prepare a great rack of BBQ ribs.

it makes me sad, too, TF. all the flavor goes down the drain with the water. the pros say "fat is flavor" (and they are correct) so when you boil ribs, the fat dissolves, floats on the water... and floats down the drain along with the meat juices which have also cooked out.

i have a weber kettle (two, actually... one which is smaller and was modified for a rotisserie) and i have been able to keep the coals low and slow (indirect heat) for the perfect ribs, both beef and pork. if you don't think you have the time and attention to devote to the bbq and want to just finish them on the grill, put them in a pan, put on your favorite rub, cover with foil and put in a slow oven (200-250ş) for about 4 hours or so, depending on the size of your rack. then put them on the grill to finish. you won't get the good, flavorful bark that way (the "burnt ends" are THE BEST!), but at least they will be flavorful, not insipid like boiled ribs.

gotta be careful with the pineapple juice... what it does is denature the proteins in the surface of the meat which can turn that surface mushy. if the ribs are tough (i.e. not prime ribs or baby backs) then long, low-heat cooking is the best way to tenderize.

besides, i REALLY don't like the sweetness of the pineapple juice. i'd rather add sweetness with a little brown sugar in my rub and sauce.

I used to simmer spareribs (pork) for about 40 min. before roasting them in the oven. I did it this way for years and then one day I read a new way to do them. So much easier and less mess and pots to wash. I will never go back to the old simmer way. I take baby back ribs, apply a dry rub I make up from about a dozen spices, lay them in my roasting pan ( no rack needed), and then roast them slow in a 275 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. No tending. THey are so tender and juicy! All the fat melts into the pan, so they are not greasy or fatty at all. Deee-lish! I serve the bbq sauce in a side dipping bowl at table.