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A square, close-up image of dry rub BBQ ribs, there are two racks of the ribs laid out on a silver tray that is lined with newspaper. The central rack of ribs is cut into and the three of the ribs are separated so you can see the ribs. In the bottom left of the background, there is the dry rub seasoning in a light grey bowl with a silver teaspoon sticking out of it. On the bottom right of the image, there is a large silver knife with a wooden handle set at an angle. This is all set on a light grey background.
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5 from 1 vote

BBQ Dry Rib Recipe

Tender, juicy, dry rub ribs, smoked on the barbecue for that perfect smoky bark, then mopped and wrapped for juicy tenderness and finished with my ultra-flavourful homemade dry rub.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Resting Time20 minutes
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: BBQ
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq ribs, Dry Ribs, How to cook pork ribs
Servings: 18 -20 ribs
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

  • 2 racks Pork ribs See note 1

For the dry rub/seasoning:

  • 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp mild Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

For the mop:

  • 1 tbsp of the rub
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions

  • Preheat your BBQ or smoker to 120C/250F and set the BBQ up for indirect cooking (see note 1). I use applewood to smoke as I love the flavour of applewood with pork.
  • Whilst the BBQ is preheating prepare the ribs and make the rub. Take the ribs out of the fridge an hour before you want to start cooking.
    2 racks Pork ribs
  • Remove the membrane from the inside of the ribs. (See note 2)
  • Now make the rub, place all of the rub ingredients in a bowl and mix together until fully combined.
    2 tbsp soft brown sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp mild Chilli Powder, 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Pat the ribs dry with some kitchen roll and sprinkle over 1 tbsp of the rub over each rack of ribs (2 tbsp in total). We don't want too much seasoning at this stage as we want the flavour of the smoke to penetrate the rib, creating a lovely bark.
  • Once the BBQ is up to temperature then place a pan (or foil tray) in the BBQ underneath where the ribs will be placed and pour in some water or weak chicken stock. (see note 3)
  • Add the ribs to the BBQ, close the lid, and leave them to smoke for 2 hours.
  • Whilst the ribs are cooking make the mop. Add all the mop ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.
    1 tbsp of the rub, 120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock, 60 ml (1/4 cup) Apple Cider Vinegar
  • After 2 hours, remove the ribs from the BBQ, mop them once and wrap them in foil tightly then place back on the BBQ for a further 1-2 hours, checking on them after 1 hour (see note 4).
  • Take the ribs off and allow them to rest for 20 minutes before serving.
  • When you're ready to serve mop the ribs then sprinkle on the remaining dry rub. Slice them up and devour.

Notes

Use meaty ribs

You want to use nice meaty ribs. If you're struggling to find them at the supermarket then I suggest getting them from the butcher.  The less meaty the ribs, the quicker the cooking time so you want to keep and eye on them.

Note 1 - Indirect heat

You need to set your BBQ up for indirect cooking - so you want a barrier in between the heat and the meat. Some BBQ's have a ceramic plate in between the charcoal/wood and the grill surface (such as Kamado Joe or Green Egg). Sometimes the heat source/charcoal area is off to one side - so the grill part you're cooking on isn't directly over the coals.
This means it will be the hot air/smoke that is cooking the ribs slowly - not the heat source itself. This will help you get those nice juicy ribs.
Here's a video we found to show how to set up indirect heat on a Kamado Joe BBQ. I'd recommend searching You Tube for how to do this for your own specific BBQ.

Note 2 - Removing the membrane

To remove the membrane from the inside of the ribs, use butter knife or spoon to get in between one of the bones and the membrane, creating a gap. Then, using a paper towel for extra grip, slowly pull the membrane away and discard it.
See the image in the post above to see what this looks like.

Note 3 - Liquid

The foil tray of water/stock adds some moisture to the circulating air - helping to keep the meat moist as it cooks.

Note 4 - Cooking time

We want to cook the ribs until the meat is starting to pull back from the bones and almost starts to break apart when you lift it from the centre, the total cooking time will vary depending on how meaty your ribs are. I cook these ribs until the meat pulls away from the bone, is nice and juice but still has a bit of a bite to it.
Nutritional information is approximate per rib - based on using 20 ribs altogether.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 322mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g

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