How to Make Mouth Watering Slide Off The Bone Pork Ribs

Choose from three cuts of pork ribs.

Barbecue typically varies depending on where you are in the United States. You may find ribs barbecued in vinegar-based sauce in eastern North Carolina or Memphis. In Kansas City or the Piedmont area of North Carolina you'll encounter tomato-based sauce. In St. Louis, you're likely to find ribs coated in a rub and no sauce. But regardless of what style of barbecue you prefer, getting mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone ribs is less about technique and more about taking care to cook your meat slowly.

Things You'll Need

• Pork ribs
• Vinegar and oil marinade
• Spices
• Aluminum foil
• Meat thermometer

Instructions

Choose the Meat

1. Choose your pork from spare ribs, baby back ribs and country ribs. Country ribs are boneless -- in fact, they're technically pork chops from the shoulder end of the loin and have a fair amount of fat. The amount of fat you want is a choice, but it prevents the meat from drying out. Baby back ribs are also known as loin back ribs. Inspect them to be sure that there is plenty of meat on the bone. Ask your butcher to leave meat on the rack, as well as between the bones. Spare ribs come from the belly and contain 13 ribs.

2. Use marinade that contains an acid to help tenderize the meat and make it fall off the bone. Vinegar-based marinade complements vinegar-based sauces. Mix vinegar with oil and your favorite spices like cumin, chili powder and garlic. Oil will serve as a carrier for your spices. Let your ribs marinate between 30 minutes and two hours.

3. Precook your ribs. If you place them directly on the grill, they'll dry out and toughen up by the time they're fully cooked. For tender ribs, slow cook for three or four hours before putting them on the grill. Some people parboil their ribs -- partial cooking by boiling. While this will make them tender, you may lose flavor as it makes a broth. The alternative is to pre-bake your ribs in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done days ahead of time. If you choose a dry rub, you want to apply it after you pre-cook your ribs.

4. Grill ribs slowly on low heat. Add salt right before placing them on the grill -- adding it too early can dry out the meat. Cover the grill in foil to decrease the immediate heat in contact with your ribs. Cook two to four pounds of ribs for one and a half to two hours. If you use sauce on your ribs, wait until the final 15-30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer -- when your ribs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, they're ready to eat.

References

• Martha Stewart Living; "Ribs 101"; David Leite; June 2008
• Epicurious.com; "Marinades, Rubs, and Sauces: Recipes and Tips"; Sarah Kagan;
• Foodnetwork.com; "Pork Belly, Ribs and Baking Guide"
• Allrecipes, "Grilling Times for Pork"