The picture above is of Trey Karn of Spartanburg, SC. I have known Trey since our days together at Appalachian State University. We have been lifelong friends, continuing to inspire each other to create "grill greatness". This "greatness" goes back many years. The 2000 ACC men's basketball tournament was held in Charlotte, NC. Trey was living in Charlotte and decided to host a party at his apartment during the tournament. My wife Sara Lindsay and I were lucky enough to score some tickets for the event. Trey gave us a place to stay. As the host with the most, Trey made us all ribs on his vertical smoker. His ribs were fantastic and inspired my journey to make the perfect rib. Since that day, I have continued to sharpen my rib smoking game.
Here are a few tips I have learned over these past 20 years on how to make your own ribs lip smacking perfection.
- Rule 1 - Always use unfrozen, fresh meat.
- Rule 2 - Remove the silver coat lining and extra fat on the tips.
- Rule 3 - Allow the meat to get close to room temperature before smoking for tenderness.
- Rule 4 - Place a cookie sheet or hotel pan with at least a 1/2 inch deep pool of apple cider vinegar under the ribs. This will steam as you cook and provide maximum tenderization as fat drips down into the pan.
- Rule 5 - Create a Dry Rib Rub and coat all sides of the 12 bones. Place vertically in a rib holder for best efficiency. It's recommended to cook multiple racks at once. The more meat, the more tender.
- Rule 6 - Get your smoker to optimum temperature. 225-325 degrees (I personally like 250). Temperature increase will decrease time on grill.
- Rule 7 - Cook until the ribs become fragile to hold in the center with tongs. Watch as the meet retracts to expose the bone edges.
- Rule 8 - If desired, mop with a bbq sauce at the end of the cook. Allow for the sugars to caramelize, but not burn. Wait about 5 to 7 minutes between application and max out at 3 mop sessions before serving.
- Rule 9 - Allow at least 8 minutes for the ribs to rest, post cook. Serve warm. Use a knife to separate ribs into smaller portions.
Watch this video for my recipe on ribs. https://youtu.be/10gIHNfNv3o
Enjoy!
- Pete Kindem of Original Grills
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