How do you like your ribs?

[Troy]

I'm always intrigued by bbq rib preferences, especially when people get super snobby about conventional bbq wisdom.
At the end of the day, you should make your ribs however you like to eat them and ignore what anyone tells you.
If that means a crockpot, can of soda, and a bottle of bbq sauce - so be it.

So how do you like yours?
Wet? dry? Glazed?
Bite through? Fall off the bone?

I like mine right at the edge of fall off the bone. If its a pain in the ass to get them off the smoker without them falling apart, they're probably perfect.
Mine are lightly sauced, which turns out more like a glaze. I'm not a fan of tomato based bbq sauces.
I smoke ribs over peach and cherry and use a 2.5 - 2.5 - .75 method, starting at 225 and ramping up to 275-300 towards the end.

[1buckie]

Full spares, heavy rub, done in the shade............





'till they're all hang-dawg-like......





Still some tug, but not a lot......

[MacEggs]

I used to be a back rib guy, but now I am really liking spare ribs cut St. Louis style.  I find there is more flavour in them.

I usually go with Memphis Dust as my go-to rub.  I like to cook them on my A code blackie with one basket on the far wall.
Foil goes on the non charcoal area of the charcoal grate and I go with one intake fully open.  Apple and cherry for smoke.
They get sauced around the 4 to 4.5 hour mark, then ready for removal and a 5-10 minute rest.

More often than not, they are fall-off-the-bone, but I don't care ... They always taste great!

225℉ takes too long, so I cook them at a steady 263.87℉ using my trusty ET-73. 

[MartyG]

Mac, Mac, Mac...everyone knows St Louis ribs should never be cooked at odd-numbered decimal temps. Has something to do with the flux capacity of interwoven primary particles crossing over the gelatinous radiant threshold. Next time crank it up to 263.88, or vent down to 263.86.

[1buckie]

Mac, Mac, Mac...everyone knows St Louis ribs should never be cooked at odd-numbered decimal temps. Has something to do with the flux capacity of interwoven primary particles crossing over the gelatinous radiant threshold. Next time crank it up to 263.88, or vent down to 263.86.

Hey Marty....I'm working on a prototype positron annealing unit that should be fairly inexpensive & easy to reproduce using parts that can be found most anywhere in the developed world.....should take care of any of those little nit-picky temp flux things toot-sweet..........

I'll put together an easy to follow build thread as it comes together....

[austin87]

I go dry rub that's about 1/3 salt, 1/3 brown sugar, and 1/3 "other" usually a mix spices like chile powders, cumin, coriander, black/white pepper, paprika.... It changes pretty much each time. I generally do sauce them with a kitchen sink sauce that's usually ketchup base. I like a little bite but won't complain if they fall off the bone.

The best ribs I have ever had were dry, but I think dry ribs require more perfection in the cook than I routinely achieve.

[Sramsey]

I tend to do that 3-2-1 method myself. When I wrap it i put some parkway butter and dark brown sugar on the foil and lay the meaty side on that. I like them wet. I'll either make my own sauce or open a bottle.smoke, I like apple wood, wish I had peach but never seen it up here before.I was looking last year.

[mrbill]

wet and almost falling off the bone

[swamprb]

I love cooking (and eating) Loin Back Ribs over Spares any day! My preferred method is is to season, let rest for a few hours and lightly re-season. Target temp 275* on my BGE, WSM or Drum, 235* on BWS. I go by color and start spritzing with a fruit juice concentrate @ 2 hours in.



The spritz starts to set a great Mahogany color, and a base for a thinned glaze





sauce on the side for the heathens

[Bob BQ]

I usually wind up doing both the loin back ribs and st. louey cut. Never wet... always a nice dry rub. Can't ever go wrong with BRITU, and I've also got a local marinade/rub that gives them a nice kick. I absolutely prefer bite through, but wouldn't say no to fall off the bone, either. I tend to smoke w/ apple or pecan, but have come into a fair amount of cherry wood, so that's been my go-to as of late. I also wound up with a small bit of plum wood from @bob hope that I used on my last cook. Good stuff. Anxious to try this mulberry I just acquired, as well.

[MINIgrillin]

I like my ribs all over my face and fingers. No napkin. No sides. No talking. Just more ribs.
Wet. Dry...whatever. Yes please.

[1buckie]

I like my ribs all over my face and fingers. No napkin. No sides. No talking. Just more ribs.
Wet. Dry...whatever. Yes please.

Ummmm......

      "POST-OF-THE-MONTH!!!!"

[Hell Fire Grill]

Get the hip waders out I see there are LIARs around here too...

[Johnpv]

For me and the GF we love the St Louis cut spares.  They're just so meaty, juicy and flavorful.  We tend to stick with a dry rubbed rib, which we usually use my dry rub.  I'm all about sweet ribs and damn close to falling off the bone.  I do the 3-2-1 method.  I try to keep my grill in the 225 - 250 range, and I like Apple and Oak wood the best for ribs.  When I wrap them I use a full stick of butter, half on one side half on the other.  Along with the butter I'll put some honey or maple syrup, and then a tiny bit of Apple juice.   I've tried the parkay, but we liked the different mouth feel the stick butter gave the meat. 

[WNC]

I like mine with a little bit of bite, but coming close to falling off the bone. I want the meat to come off cleanly, but not all at once.

(These could have cooked just a little more)

I like to cook them at 250-275 using apple and hickory wood for smoke, and baste with a vinegar sauce after the bark has set.


I used to wrap, but have come to prefer the texture of the unwrapped rib. Seems to me to be a little less mushy.
Another thing I've changed over the years is saucing while on the grill. I used to brush on 2 or 3 coats of sauce during the last hour or so. Now I much prefer to just give a light coat of sauce while I'm eating them. I feel like I get more taste of all the layers of flavor: meat, smoke, rub, and sauce.


All that being said, ribs are one of my absolute favorites, and I've only met one rib I didn't like (at some restaurant, they were steamed to death!). What's been described above sounds great, so each of you, save a rack for me!!!