Memphis-Style Dry Rub Ribs
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 3 hours & 30 minutes A snippet from bottomlesskitchen.com: "Although a cook time of over three hours may seem daunting, it is a GREAT way to grill out & relax with friends. Most of the time the ribs can be left relatively unattended...Great for company, but limited to two racks unless you have more than one grill."
Total Steps
15
Ingredients
14
Tools Needed
9
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 racks St. Louis style spareribs (~ 3 lbs each)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- soaked wood chips(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Open grill vents halfway.
Step 2
Arrange 20 briquettes on one side of the grill.
Step 3
Place 3 dozen briquettes in a chimney starter, filling it halfway.
Step 4
Light briquettes in the chimney starter and wait 15 minutes.
Step 5
Carefully empty the burning briquettes from the chimney onto the 20 unlit briquettes on one side of the grill. This creates a two-zone fire with one half of the grill having briquettes and the other half empty.
Step 6
Place a 9-inch circular disposable aluminum pan filled with 1 inch of water onto the empty half of the grill. Cover the grill with the grate and heat for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Place the sparerib racks on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 8
Combine all the rub ingredients (paprika, light brown sugar, 1 tbsp honey, minced garlic, salt, chili powder, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried thyme) in a small bowl. Sprinkle the rub on both sides of each sparerib rack, pressing to adhere. Set the racks aside.
Step 9
Place the ribs on the grill grate over the water pan, meat side down. Cook for 1 hour, maintaining a grill temperature around 120 degrees Fahrenheit by adjusting the vents.
Step 10
Combine 1 tbsp honey, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to create a basting liquid.
Step 11
Flip the ribs over. Brush the meat side with the basting liquid and cook for 45 minutes.
Step 12
Baste the ribs again and continue cooking on the grill until the briquettes die down, approximately 1 hour.
Step 13
Transfer the ribs to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Baste them a third and final time.
Step 14
Transfer the ribs to a preheated 300-degree Fahrenheit oven. Continue cooking for approximately 45 minutes, until a total cook time of approximately 3.5 hours is reached.
Step 15
Remove the ribs from the oven and tent them with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.