Here is a new way to cook ribs that I am calling Blasphemy Ribs.
Normally we smoke a whole rack of ribs, low and slow, for 5-6 hours. Then we cut them apart to eat them. For Blasphemy Ribs, we slice the rack into individual ribs before we cook them.
The advantages of this recipe and technique are:
- The ribs cook much faster (half the time)
- There’s more surface area to absorb smoke and for the rub and sauce
- More bark
- Much easier to serve because they already cut apart
- The ribs are juicy, tender, have a good bite and have much more smoke flavor.
You can see from the pictures below that the smoke “ring” goes all the way to bone!
To make this recipe you will need a smoker or grill that you can keep at a steady 225F. I use a pellet smoker (with a pellet blend of maple-hickory-cherry). If you use a grill, set it up for 2-zone cooking as we want to cook these over indirect heat. For more info on how to do that, see our Other Cool Stuff page.
If your grill has an accurate probe-based thermometer, you are golden. DO NOT trust the dial thermometer built into the lid. They are notoriously inaccurate. Otherwise, get yourself a good, remote reading thermometer. I recommend products from Thermoworks. For this recipe, a single probe is fine, like the BlueDOT, but I’d spend a little extra and get a multi-probe unit, like the Smoke, Smoke-X (extended range) or Signals. They will let you monitor the grill temp and one or more meat temperatures. See our Other Cool Stuff page for more info or click on the product links above.
Blasphemy Ribs Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: American, BBQDifficulty: Easy30
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hours30
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hours Here is a new way to cook ribs that I am calling Blasphemy Ribs.
Normally we smoke a whole rack of ribs, low and slow, for 5-6 hours. Then we cut them apart to eat them. For Blasphemy Ribs, we slice the rack into individual ribs before we cook them.
Ingredients
1 Rack 1 Baby Back Pork Ribs
4 tbs 4 Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (or your favorite)
- Blasphemy Ribs Rub
6 tbs 6 Turbinado sugar (aka sugar in the raw)
2 tbs 2 Paprika
1 tbs 1 Sea Salt (table grind)
1 tbs 1 Granulated garlic powder
1.5 tsp 1.5 Black pepper (table grind)
1.5 tsp 1.5 Granulated onion powder
.5 tsp .5 Ground ginger powder
Directions
- Make the rub. (This can be done in advance.) Combine all of the rub ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Shake it up well if you can. This will make enough rub for 2-3 batches of ribs.
- Rinse the rack of ribs and then remove the membrane.
- Cut the ribs into singles. This is much easier to do from the back as you can see the bones.
- Put the ribs into a gallon zip lock bag. Add about 4 tbs of the rub to bag. Close the bag and toss them well to coat. If they are not well coated, add more rub and repeat tossing until they are well coated. Put them in the refrigerator for 6 hours (or longer). I try to do mine the day before. Every few hours, turn the bag over to make sure the ribs get an even coating of the rub.
- Get your smoker going with indirect heat and try to get it to hold a steady temperature at 225F. Since this is a timed cook, keeping this temperature steady is important. Go to our Other Cool Stuff section for links to info on how to set up your grill properly.
- When you are ready to cook, put them on a grill pan with holes. They really don’t want to stand up, so I gave up trying and now just lay them on their side. (See the picture below.) If you use a stainless steel pan, prep the pan with a light coating of oil to make cleanup easier and to make sure the ribs can be removed as easily and cleanly as possible.
- Smoke them at 225F for 2.5 hours. Apply BBQ sauce at 2 hours in, so it bakes on for half an hour. I use bottled sauce and right now my favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s. Baste the sauce on as heavy or light as you like, getting it on the edge facing up and on the top (which will be facing sideways). I have experimented with saucing the top and side, then turning the rib over to sauce the side that is down. I didn’t find that it was worth the effort.
- At the 2.5 hour mark, remove from the smoker and serve. The total time here is 2.5 hours. The timing and temperatures are critical to success. Let them go longer and you will overcook them. Since they are individual, the margin for error is much smaller than for a whole rack.
Recipe Video
Notes
- I have only made this recipe with baby back ribs, and the timings and temperature are tested for that. It took me many tries to get the timing right and it gives proven results, so please make it my way before you try anything else. Having said, that, others have found this also works for St. Louis cut ribs with the same temp and timings. I suspect full spares would behave the same.
- If you have trouble keeping 225F, but can hit 275F, others have reported that this works if you shave 1/2 hour off the timing, so smoke at 275F for 1.5 hours, sauce and smoke another 1/2 hour.
Three and a half pound rack of Baby Backs. Applied some seasoning rub I like. Cooked on three burner gas grill with the outside two burners turned all the way down as low as possible and middle burner turned off. This allowed me to hold the temp between 260 and 280. Cooked for one and a half hours then applied Sweet Baby Ray original, took up at two hours. PERFECT, best ribs I have ever cooked. Thank you for your recipe and taking the time to perfect this method. The first time I tried it I overcooked (temp too high and I waited the 2 1/2 hours) but this time I followed our recommendations to the letter and it worked. THANKS!
Can I use powdered garlic and onion rather than the granulated versions? If so, how much less powder than granulated?
Yes you can, but you will need to use less – about half the amount.
Have a silly question. Have used your method 3 times and love it. When you cut the ribs from the back, do you try to cut down the middle between ribs or do you cut to one side so you leave more meat on one side of each rib. I have cut “down the middle” but it does not seem to leave a lot of meat on the rib and wondered if cutting to one side would do better. Of course it may make no difference at all. Thanks for your assistance and thanks for developing this great way to cook ribs.
I usually try for down the middle, but as long as I don’t hit the bone, I’m happy! Glad you’re enjoying the ribs! Spread the word – buy a T-shirt!
Many thanks to Henry for sharing his experience on a gas grill. I am wondering if you can get it down to the recommended 225 by using a single burner. Seems like the the slower cook would be advisable, but still great to have your results (I came here today looking just for this info)
I am trying to decide if I want to try this Sunday a friend’s house (no smoker, just propane grill) or wait to try it at home (cooking surface is on order).
Yes, use one burner and put the ribs so they are not over the burner. There’s a link on the Other Cool Stuff page for setting up your grill for 2-zone smoking.
I was a doubter. No way these things will be done, tender, and tasty, I thought. I told my wife I wouldn’t do it, that I have my meat smokin’ reputation to think of. She told me to shut up and try it. So being the smart man I am, I shut up and tried it. Worked like a charm. The ribs were tender, the meat was well cooked, the flavor of the rub complemented but didn’t overwhelm the meat.
My guests were happy, my wife was happy, and I looked like a genius. Thanks, Mark.
Okay, I’m confused.
Do you use the Weber Grill Pan with holes, in your smoker? Or do you just use it to transport the meat on and off the smokers grill?
Thanks
BL
I use the pan in the grill (and also to transport the meat). But since it has holes I use a larger sheet pan when transporting but that pan does not go in the smoker.