Memphis Style Barbecue Pork Ribs

For Memphis Barbecue Ribs, the pork rib is one of the most ideal meats ever to take pride of place on the grill. The meat is generously marbled with fat, which keeps it juicy during extended cooking.

As the fat starts to give way and meld into the meat, it crisps the meat fibers and bastes the meat naturally giving a wonderful flavor that is hard to beat.

Memphis Style Barbecue Ribs

The bones give off a wonderful meaty flavor while providing a useful chewable rack on which to grill the meat. No matter where you eat your ribs, whether that be in Dallas, Thailand, Mississipee or Texas, you'll get a ribs that are served completely different each time.

Those living in Memphis tend not to bother with a huge amounts of sweetness in the sauce, rather favoring dry rubs that are spicy mixtures of paprika, black pepper, and cayenne, with a smidgen of sugar to add a tiny amount of sweetness.

The rub is massaged into the meat the night before grilling, and additional rub is sprinkled on the ribs at the end of cooking. This double application of spices creates incredible character and depth of flavor, while at the same time preserving the natural taste of the pork.

Occasionally, vinegar and mustard based mop sauce is slathered over the ribs during cooking; and there is a recipe here for you to use if you want.

You can go for any type of rib for this recipe: baby back ribs, long ends, short ends, rib tips or whatever you please, all of them will be good!

Remember that the ribs are done when the ends of the bones extend slightly and the meat is tender enough to detach with fingers.

Allow 6 to 10 hours for marinating the ribs prior to cooking.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained. Use hickory wood chips for an authentic flavor.

For the ribs and rub

3 pounds total weight of your chosen ribs
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbls. salt
3/4 tsp. celery salt
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

For the mop sauce (optional)

* 2 cups cider vinegar
* 3/4 cup yellow (ballpark) mustard
* 2 teaspoons salt

Preparing the ribs

1. Prepare the ribs and rub: Discard the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a solid grip.

2. Mix the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 6 to 10 hours.

3. Prepare the mop sauce (if you have chosen to use it): Combine together the cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl and leave to one side.

4. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and place a large drip pan in the center, and brush the grill lightly with oil.

If using a gas grill, add all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke begins to appear, drop the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium.

5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss the hickory (or your preferred variety) wood chips on the coals. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the ribs for 1 hour.

6. When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill and brush the ribs with the mop sauce (if using). Recover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, 1/4 to 1/2 hour longer for baby back ribs, 1/2 to 1 hour longer for spareribs.

The ribs are ready when the meat is very succulent and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.

7. To serve, cut the racks in half or, for a plate-burying effect, just leave them whole and enjoy your finger lickingly good Memphis style barbecue ribs!