How to Grill Ribs Plus a Delicious Rib Rub Recipe for You

If your idea of the perfect dinner is BBQ pork ribs grilled ever-so-slowly over a fragrant fire (and it really should be), here's your cheat sheet.

Cooking pork ribs is pretty easy -- but for the beginner they can be really difficult to cook well. So many people think they can just throw them on the grate over a raging fire like they would a hamburger or cuts of chicken and have them turn out juicy and tender.

It ain't THAT easy.

But add just a very few little tweaks to your preparation and grilling -- like skinning the ribs, rubbing the meat with a favor rib rub, "mopping" on a sauce during the cooking, glazing at the proper time with a good BBQ sauce, and getting the temperature just right -- and you'll do just fine and have nearly world-class ribs.

At the very least they will be the best in your neighborhood.

Let's start -- but remember this is just a "cheat sheet."

You'll need about 4 racks of Baby Back Ribs, about 1 1/2 cups of wood chips (get hickory or apple if you can) soaked for 1 hour in water then drained, a couple of Lemons, BBQ Rub (remember the recipe follows) and your favorite quality BBQ mop sauce and BBQ sauce.

Preparation -- What we do NOW will determine how good the ribs turn out

First turn all the ribs "meat down" and remove the silver skin from back of the ribs. Use a pair of pliers to get a grip. It should come off completely. Just this first easy step will make your ribs better than 3/4 of what we usually see at picnics and cookouts.

Next, fire up the grill set-up for indirect heat and place those soaked chips directly on charcoal.

Cut the lemons in half and rub over front and back of ribs. Set the ribs aside to "rest" for about 5 minutes.

Rub the ribs liberally with your Rib Rub -- really work it in -- and then let them rest, covered, for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Now you are ready to start grilling.

Place ribs (bone side down first) in the center of your grate. Remember over low heat. Make sure they are never over a direct flame. Grill covered at about 325 degrees F for about 45 minutes.

Try not to open the grill for the first 30 minutes. You want the smoke to circulate well.

Open the grill and mop the ribs on both sides with your mop sauce.

Close the grill and cook until the ribs until they ar well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. About 45 minutes to 1 hour longer should do.

When the ribs are done the meat should have pulled back slightly from the ends of the rib bones.

Just before serving (not before), coat the ribs on both sides with your BBQ Sauce and place them directly over the fire. Heat them until the barbecue sauce is browned and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the ribs and let them rest for a few minutes, then serve.

YUM!

Here is an easy and quick Rib Rub Recipe for you to use. For plenty more visit the links below.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon good quality paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Just mix all together in a bowl and use immediately. Or store in an airtight container for up to a week.