The Right Cuts And Sauce Can Make Great BBQ Ribs

Outdoor cooking and enjoying the resultant feast with family and friends is not something new – it has been around since the days of the caveman! During those times the animals were first hunted down and roasted over a fire – there were no accompaniments, no sauces, but outdoor cooking and feasting was a favorite activity. The tradition of roasting food over a fire has metamorphosed into the modern-day barbeque and BBQ ribs is one of the favorite dishes all across American households as well as in BBQ cookoffs.

To make great BBQ ribs, you have to pay attention to the type of ribs and the sauce, because these make a huge difference to the final product. Many people consider baby ribs (just off from the op of the rib cage) to be the most tender while there are others who say that St. Louis ribs (the main portion of the ribs) sport a superior flavor. You must remember that the rib tips, which are found near the bottom end of the rib cage, are too close to that part of the pig that is used to make bacon and, therefore, these rib tips taste similar to bacon and must be avoided if you want to taste superb BBQ ribs. It is the St. Louis cut with the tips intact that is right for making great, flavorful BBQ ribs.

BBQ ribs also need to be cooked with the right sauce that will ensure that the dish tastes great. Kansas City style red sauce is a very popular sauce for people who want to blend in a sweet–sour–tangy touch to their dish, while the South Carolina mustard sauce is used by people who just want to gorge on tangy–hot BBQ ribs. Lexington vinegar sauces are popular too as they add on a wholesome flavoring; a Memphis style rub on the meat before cooking it works swell too.

Cooking and Coating BBQ ribs

Preparing a good BBQ ribs dish is not an easy task – many stay away from making this dish because they feel that ribs don't retain the flavor when they are cooked on a gas grill. The trick is to slow-cook BBQ ribs, but then no one has the time for that nowadays and, therefore, many people use recipes that cook fast and taste just like they were slow-roasted over a wood flame.

While making BBQ ribs, you must remember not to coat the ribs before they are placed on the grill. The ribs should be coated with sauce only after they are fully cooked and if you coat them with sauce too early on, the meat will not get the required heat and smoke. Also, coating the ribs after cooking ensures that they have a great flavor. Before eating your dish, ensure that it is heated for approximately 30 minutes.

About an hour before the ribs are done, put the sauce in a heat-safe pot and place it on the grill along with the ribs. This helps smear the BBQ ribs with the hot sauce, as well as cuts down on the cooking time towards the end.