How to Cook Barbeque Ribs

Nothing says barbeque quite like a rack of ribs covered in finger licking good barbeque sauce. If prepared correctly there is nothing better than bbq ribs. But for many people barbequing ribs can be difficult because they need to be slow cooked to bring out the flavor and taste. Slow cooking ribs on a grill is an art form that can be hard to duplicate if you don’t have the patience or know how to do it right. But never fear there are ways to take the guess work out of how to cook barbeque ribs.

First off let’s look at the different types of ribs you can barbeque.

• Pork Baby Back Ribs – Probably the most well known and easiest to cook. They are tender and can be cooked quickly on the grill.

• Pork Spare Ribs – These are bigger than baby back ribs and take quite a bit longer to cook.

• Beef Ribs – The largest of all ribs they take a considerable amount of time to cook, particularly if you want them to be tender as they are tougher than pork ribs. It is best to braise them before grilling

• Beef Short Ribs – Also need to be slow cooked to bring out the tenderness. Much like beef ribs.

The problem most people have when it comes to barbequing ribs is either overcooking them, which leads to dry and tough ribs, or not cooking them long enough which can be a potential health hazard. One would guess that that is why most of the time they get overcooked.

There are ways around this problem. You can pre-cook your ribs either by boiling, steaming or slow cooking them in the oven before you put them on the grill. Make sure you pre-season your ribs before using these methods as this will help bring out the flavor in your ribs. Many people boil or steam their ribs with beer which not only adds flavor but also tenderizes the meat making it fall off the bone. You can pre-cook your ribs from anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on which method you are using.

Once they have been pre-cooked just throw them on the grill for 5-10 minutes a side and brush on your favorite barbeque sauce. Before you know it you will have perfectly grilled ribs that are ready to eat.

Andrew Bicknell is a barbeque afficianado with a website about barbequing. For more tips and trick about how to cook barbeque ribs visit his web site Backyard Barbeque.