12 replies to this topic

[Techguy]

Happy 4th of July to everyone here on WinePress. Tis the season to be BBQ'ing so I thought I would share with you my world class Dry Rub recipe for Pork Ribs. If you've never had pork ribs BBQ'd using a dry rub then you're in for a treat. And throw away the handy wipes, cuz with dry rubs these ribs won't be messy, but gauranteed to be finger lickin' good. This recipe will cover 1 rack of pork ribs up to 6lbs, or 2 smaller racks of equal weight. Here we go.

3/4c. light brown sugar
3tbs. Dry Mustard
1tbs. Onion Powder
1tbs. Garlic Powder
1tbs. Cayenne Pepper (more or less to your liking)
2tbs. Chili Powder
3tbs. Paprika (Smokey Paprika if ya got it)
1tbs. Salt
2-1/2tsp. Black Pepper


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, breaking up any clumps.

Rinse your rack of ribs and pat dry. You don't want them soaking wet, but damp. Lay a piece of aluminum foil the length of your ribs on your counter, making sure to leave a few inches extra on both ends.

Place your ribs in the center of your aluminum foil and cover one side of your rack of ribs completely with the rub, going over it a second time as it will soak in just a bit - use it liberally. Flip your ribs over and do the other side.

Place a second piece of aluminum foil of equal length on your counter and transfer the rack of ribs to it, placing it rib side down. You will notice you will have some rub that has spilled over onto your first sheet of foil. Empty it into a container - save for later.

Now take that first sheet of foil and place it over the top and cover your ribs. Take the ends and sides and carefully fold them upwards to create a sealed pocket. It's important you make sure you seal it good as juice will start to form in the foil and you won't want it draining out into your fridge! Also be careful not to let a rib puncture the foil underneath - you want to capture that wonderful juice that will form.

Place ribs on a cookie sheet or tray in the fridge overnight (you could cook them same day if prepared in the AM, but much better if you let them set overnight. A couple of hours before they will go on the grill remove the ribs from the fridge and carefully remove the top sheet of foil.

You will notice a fair amount of juice laying in the bottom. Whatever works best for you get this juice transferred to a bowl. I usually end up with about 1/2c. of rub leftover and will add it to this juice. Do this if you want to but don't add much more than that if you have more left over.

Let your ribs come up to room temp then they are ready to grill. Use the juice to periodically baste your ribs as they cook. Every grill is different and everyone grills their own way so you be the judge on when they are done. I like to cook them slow - about one to one and a half hours on a charcoal grill.

Take a sharp knife and separate your ribs. Make sure it's sharp, it will take some effort to separate them where the ribs are connected.

Pour a glass of you favorite red wine and enjoy...and be careful with your knife and fireworks...let's all come back tomorrow with all of our digits!!


Steve

[Tomer1]

All these dry powders taste nothing like the fresh ingridient and dont really give off a nice flavour.
I like a 5 spice mix on my chops or a mix of my own self dried herbs infused in a bit of olive oil to release their flavour.
I like mint,thyme,Origanum syriacum (which I have no idea what the common name for) and sometimes oregano for a greek twist.

[NorthernWiner]

All these dry powders taste nothing like the fresh ingridient and dont really give off a nice flavour.

Never knock a man's barbeque recipe.

If you're making real American barbeque - and today is American Independence Day, after all - a dry rub is typically what you use to flavor the meat before smoking/grilling it. With long cooking times, fresh herbs will burn and turn bitter. Dry ingredients, on the other hand, blend into the fat as it renders and permeates the meat.

If you've ever had well-made traditional American barbeque (as opposed to some of the poor knock-offs I've tasted in various European cities) then you would know that good flavor isn't a problem.

[Techguy]

All these dry powders taste nothing like the fresh ingridient and dont really give off a nice flavour.
I like a 5 spice mix on my chops or a mix of my own self dried herbs infused in a bit of olive oil to release their flavour.
I like mint,thyme,Origanum syriacum (which I have no idea what the common name for) and sometimes oregano for a greek twist.

Au contraire Tomer1 - you don't know what you're missing then. This blend of herbs and spices coupled with the sweetness from the brown sugar meld well together and practically melts onto the meat. Although I'm sure the way you make them is good as well, this dry rub seals in the juices, it keeps the meat from burning and the flavor is out of this world. The ribs will have a reddish tint to them from the paprika and they come out tender as can be. I do like sloppy ribs once in a while (Dinosaur BBQ here in Syracuse rocks), but this dry rub IMO is much better in flavor. I usually bump up the cayenne just a tad - love em spicey. Steve is right - I don't know how you keep the herbs from burning

You can also use this dry rub on country style ribs that come separated in your grocery store, or even smoked chops - just throw the rub in a bag and do the shake and bake thing with them to coat them. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. I'm also going to try it today on some venison I have in the freezer. Never tried it before but I'll bet it will be good.

Steve

[DesertDance]

Agreed! Dry rubs are the only way to go! My oldest son (owner of a vineyard in Temecula, CA) and self proclaimed chef of the world's best BBQ ribs is entered in a BBQ ribs "throw down" at a neighboring winery named Briar Rose. This is a charity event, with blues bands, wine, and a local chef providing the "fixin's" to go with the competitor's ribs. This is not just a dry rub competition. Some entrants are using their own special sauces. My son's entry name is Mike, "off the sauce," and the other names are very crazy too, like Betty's Rack Rocks, ...! Off the sauce means, dry rubbed, and smoked for hours!! He was here last night, and announced that they will be eating a lot of ribs in the next couple weeks to perfect his recipe!

I'm going to email him yours! Thanks for sharing! He'll probably tweek it a little, because he's already got his own. You never know, sometimes just one ingredient makes a huge difference!! I'm so looking forward to this event! It's $100 per couple, but it will be worth it!!

Dry rubbed ribs are a party in a smoker!!

Suzi

[Techguy]

I really need to try these in a smoker but don't have one. Time to drag my dad's out of the closet and brush the dust off of it. That event sounds fun.

Steve

[DesertDance]

Yes, go get daddy's smoker, kick it up, and you will be amazed at the glory!!

Suzi

[Howie]

I use Chef Joseph Carey's recipes and have nothing but complements. He has been a chef in Memphis, New Orleans and San Francisco and has written a few excellent cook books. I've met him a few times and chat with him on-line occasionally. These are excellent recipes:

Joseph Carey’s Dry Rub and Barbecue Sauce

Dry Rub
A dry rub is an integral part of barbecuing. This is one of several I utilize. I am including it here since I think it the best all-purpose rub.
Ingredient Quantity
Cayenne pepper ¼ Cup
Chili powder ¼ Cup
Paprika ½ Cup
Black pepper, finely ground ½ Cup
Garlic powder ¼ Cup
Cumin 2 TBSP
Dry mustard 1 TBSP
Celery salt 3 TBSP
(Howie's note - this mixture makes a great seasoning for rice)

Barbecue Sauce
There are food writers out there who would have us believe the word "barbecue" comes to us from the French "barbe a queue," which translates as "beard to tail." Far fetched, I think. Several 18th and 19th century New World travelers and writers mentioned "barbacoa" or "borbecus,” raised wooden frameworks used as beds or for smoking meats. This linguistic ancestry seems much more likely, given the "racks" or grids on which we "barbecue.”
Ingredient Quantity
Onions, yellow, minced 2 Cups
Garlic, finely minced 12 Cloves
Fresh ginger, finely minced 2 Tablespoons
Peanut oil ½ Cup
Cayenne 1 TBSP
Chile powder 4 Tablespoons
Catsup 6 cups
Dry mustard 3 Tablespoons
Dry red wine 2 Cups
Apple cider vinegar 1 Cup
Apple juice 1 Cup
Brown sugar 1 Cup
Paprika 5 Tablespoons
Soy sauce ½ Cup
Tabasco To taste
Pepper, black 1 Teaspoon

Method:
1) "Sweat" onions, garlic and ginger in the peanut oil in a sauce pan over medium heat until just soft.
2) Raise heat, add chile powder and sauté about 60 seconds.
3) Dissolve dry mustard in one cup of the red wine.
4) Add all remaining ingredients to pan and thoroughly incorporate.
5) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 15 minutes.
Note: For a marinade or a "basting" sauce, dilute one cup of Barbecue Sauce with three cups of water. For chicken or fish, add ½ cup of lemon juice to Barbecue Sauce.

[dagobob]

Au contraire Tomer1 - you don't know what you're missing then. This blend of herbs and spices coupled with the sweetness from the brown sugar meld well together and practically melts onto the meat. Although I'm sure the way you make them is good as well, this dry rub seals in the juices, it keeps the meat from burning and the flavor is out of this world. The ribs will have a reddish tint to them from the paprika and they come out tender as can be. I do like sloppy ribs once in a while (Dinosaur BBQ here in Syracuse rocks), but this dry rub IMO is much better in flavor. I usually bump up the cayenne just a tad - love em spicey. Steve is right - I don't know how you keep the herbs from burning

You can also use this dry rub on country style ribs that come separated in your grocery store, or even smoked chops - just throw the rub in a bag and do the shake and bake thing with them to coat them. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. I'm also going to try it today on some venison I have in the freezer. Never tried it before but I'll bet it will be good.

Steve

Let me know how the venison turns out; I have some nice thick steaks ready to try.

[dagobob]

Happy 4th of July to everyone here on WinePress. Tis the season to be BBQ'ing so I thought I would share with you my world class Dry Rub recipe for Pork Ribs. If you've never had pork ribs BBQ'd using a dry rub then you're in for a treat. And throw away the handy wipes, cuz with dry rubs these ribs won't be messy, but gauranteed to be finger lickin' good. This recipe will cover 1 rack of pork ribs up to 6lbs, or 2 smaller racks of equal weight. Here we go.

3/4c. light brown sugar
3tbs. Dry Mustard
1tbs. Onion Powder
1tbs. Garlic Powder
1tbs. Cayenne Pepper (more or less to your liking)
2tbs. Chili Powder
3tbs. Paprika (Smokey Paprika if ya got it)
1tbs. Salt
2-1/2tsp. Black Pepper


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, breaking up any clumps.

Rinse your rack of ribs and pat dry. You don't want them soaking wet, but damp. Lay a piece of aluminum foil the length of your ribs on your counter, making sure to leave a few inches extra on both ends.

Place your ribs in the center of your aluminum foil and cover one side of your rack of ribs completely with the rub, going over it a second time as it will soak in just a bit - use it liberally. Flip your ribs over and do the other side.

Place a second piece of aluminum foil of equal length on your counter and transfer the rack of ribs to it, placing it rib side down. You will notice you will have some rub that has spilled over onto your first sheet of foil. Empty it into a container - save for later.

Now take that first sheet of foil and place it over the top and cover your ribs. Take the ends and sides and carefully fold them upwards to create a sealed pocket. It's important you make sure you seal it good as juice will start to form in the foil and you won't want it draining out into your fridge! Also be careful not to let a rib puncture the foil underneath - you want to capture that wonderful juice that will form.

Place ribs on a cookie sheet or tray in the fridge overnight (you could cook them same day if prepared in the AM, but much better if you let them set overnight. A couple of hours before they will go on the grill remove the ribs from the fridge and carefully remove the top sheet of foil.

You will notice a fair amount of juice laying in the bottom. Whatever works best for you get this juice transferred to a bowl. I usually end up with about 1/2c. of rub leftover and will add it to this juice. Do this if you want to but don't add much more than that if you have more left over.

Let your ribs come up to room temp then they are ready to grill. Use the juice to periodically baste your ribs as they cook. Every grill is different and everyone grills their own way so you be the judge on when they are done. I like to cook them slow - about one to one and a half hours on a charcoal grill.

Take a sharp knife and separate your ribs. Make sure it's sharp, it will take some effort to separate them where the ribs are connected.

Pour a glass of you favorite red wine and enjoy...and be careful with your knife and fireworks...let's all come back tomorrow with all of our digits!!


Steve

This sounds like a great recipe; similiar to one I use; but I soak my ribs overnight in apple cider vinegar (50-50 with water). then put the rub on in the morning. I've tried it without the cider vinegar and they don't seem to do as well. But, I never see this step mentioned; does anyone else soak theirs? Also, when I slow cook/smoke them I cut the slabs in 1/2 or 1/3 and stack them on top of each other at least 6 high; so that the juices drip down into the ribs below. About every 1/2 hour or so I rotate the stack. The whole process takes 5-6 hours. Sounds like work, but is really none at all; either I'm working around the garden anyways or just sitting on the back porch watching things grow; when I get up to get another drink; I just make a side step to the grill and rotate. Ocasionally I might have to throw on some more briquettes or mesquite chunks.
Comments?

[Techguy]

The apple cider vinegar sounds good - might have to try that next time. I tried it yesterday on some venison - it was "ok", but I didn't let it sit overnight. Maybe it would have been a little better had I done that. I just think this rub was made for ppork. Here's some shots from yesterday.

Just hitting the grill




Smoking away



Done and cut up. You can also see cut zucchini BBQ'ing away with melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic - awesome. Oh, and that red concoction?? Have you ever seen the $2 buckets of margarita mix they sell at the grocery store, just add a bottle of rum or tequila to it and freeeze? Oh yeah...my son and I drank a whole bucket of this stuff yesterday with a liter of Tequila in it - all but about 3 or 4 drinks left over. Whew!! As hot as it was these are so smooth and refreshing.




Closeup of the ribs ready to eat

[Calamity Cellars]

Daaaammmmmmnnnnnnn, now I am hungry. There goes the diet.

[Techguy]

Daaaammmmmmnnnnnnn, now I am hungry. There goes the diet.

Tell me about it - I'm just coming off of one 2 weeks ago, lost 30lbs. What a lot of work and discipline that was. This past weekend didn't do me any justice though, time to hit the treadmill back up again. Booze and food 3 days straight - yikes!

Steve