Quick Grilling, Smoking, and Roasting Directions

Quick Grilling, Smoking,
and Roasting Directions

Quick Grilling

Grilling
If using a gas barbecue, preheat it to medium (325 degrees). If using charcoal or wood, prepare a fire. When the coals or wood are ash covered, push them to the outside of the grill. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the grill among the coals, and cover the coals with the cooking grate. Place a rib rack on the cooking grate and add the ribs. Alternatively, brush the cooking grate with a flavorless cooking oil, such as safflower oil, and then lay the ribs meaty side up in the center of the grill. Cover the grill. regulate the heat so it remains at a medium temperature. Occasionally during cooking, baste the ribs with extra marinade. Grill the ribs until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the rib bones.

Approximate grilling times: pork baby back ribs and country-style spareribs, 75 minutes; spareribs and beef ribs 90 minutes; lamb ribs, 40 minutes.

Quick Smoking

Smoking Preheat an electric smoker or build a small charcoal fire, bring the temperature to 200 degrees to 220 degrees. When the coals are ash colored, push them to the outside of the smoker. Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the smoker among the coals, and cover the coals with the cooking grate. Brush the cooking grate with flavorless cooking oil, such as safflower oil, and lay the ribs meaty side up in the center of the smoker or stand them upright in a rib rack. Cover the smoker. Regulate the heat so it remains at a medium temperature. Once an hour, brush the ribs with reserved marinade and add additional charcoal briquettes. Smoke the ribs until the meat begins to shrink away from the bones.

Approximate smoking times: pork baby back ribs, spareribs, beef ribs, 3 hours; country-style spareribs, 3 to 4 hours; beef short ribs, 4 to 5 hours.

Quick Roasting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If your oven has a convection setting, set the oven on "convection" at 325 degrees. Place the ribs on a wire rack, meaty side up. Place the rack on a foil-lined baking sheet on the middle oven rack. Place a small pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven, and roast the ribs until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the bone. Brush the meaty side with reserved marinade one to two times during roasting. Do not turn the ribs over.

Approximate roasting times: pork baby back ribs and country-style spareribs, 75 minutes; spareribs and beef ribs, 90 minutes, lamb ribs, 40 minutes.

The Great Ribs Book
By Hugh Carpenter & Teri Sandison
Ten Speed Press, April 1999
Paperback, $14.95
160 pages
ISBN: 1-58008-084-7
Reprinted by permission.