Texas-Style Baby Back Pork Ribs
Kingsford Gameday recipe inspired by
Bring big flavor to ribs at your next tailgate with an amazing dry rub that will have them coming back for more.
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Ingredients
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2 full slabs pork baby back ribs or 8 pork country-style ribs, membranes removed
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3 tbsp. spicy brown or Dijon mustard
Dry Rub
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1 tsp. onion powder
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1 ½ tsp. garlic pepper (optional)
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1 ½ tsp. lemon pepper
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1 ½ tsp. paprika
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2 tsp. black pepper
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2 tsp. seasoning salt
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¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
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¼ tsp. cumin
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¼ tsp. thyme
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½ cup packed brown sugar
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½ tsp. garlic powder
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½ tsp. grated orange rind
1 Food Prep
- Begin by removing the membrane on the bone side of the ribs.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the rub and blend well.
- Lightly coat the rib meat with the mustard: coat all sides for country-style ribs and meat side for baby back ribs. Sprinkle ½ cup rub mixture evenly over the ribs. Press the rub into the mustard and then wrap ribs tightly in aluminum foil.
Select a rib with the fresh date being as far in the future as possible. Choose ribs that are a reddish/pink color as opposed to pale pink, they will have more moisture retention after cooking. Also, look for a rib with plenty of internal marbling to ensure juiciness and flavor.
Although there is nothing wrong with frozen ribs, a fresh rib will provide a bit more of a vibrant meat flavor so go with fresh ribs whenever possible. Supermarket pork ribs are commonly sealed in packaging to extend their freshness from a few days to a few weeks. But because of this packaging, the closer you get to the fresh date, the more susceptible the meat is to being past its prime.
Credit: World Champion Pitmaster Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q.
2 Grill Prep
Fuel: We recommend Kingsford® Original Charcoal Briquets.
Method: Two-Zone Method
Temp: 225–274°F (Low Heat)
Carefully hold your hand about 5” to 6” above the grate, and refer to the temperature settings below:
• High Heat (450° to 550°F):
2 to 4 seconds
• Medium Heat (350° to 450°F):
5 to 6 seconds
• Low Heat (250° to 350°F):
8 to 10 seconds
Make sure your clothing doesn’t touch the grate, and always move your hand away from the heat before you feel discomfort.
When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.
3 The Cook
- When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.
- Place the foil-wrapped ribs on the grill over indirect heat on the cooler side of the grate. Cover and cook for about 3 hours.
- Remove the ribs from the grill, unwrap, and sprinkle the remaining rub mixture over the ribs (do not rewrap in foil).
- Place the ribs meat side down on the grill over indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook for 10 minutes.
- Next, turn the ribs so they are facing meat side up. Cover the grill and continue cooking an additional 10 minutes, until the ribs are tender and reach an internal temperature of 190–200°F on a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice, serve and savor!
Recipe created by Dan Roundtree on behalf of Kingsford® Charcoal.
For safe meat preparation, reference the USDA website.
Frequently Asked Questions
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