DJ BBQ's rad rum ribs | Pork recipes | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to make tough BBQ ribs tender? ›

Put the ribs in a covered container and refrigerate them for 2-24 hours. Allow at least 2 hours for the marinade to absorb into the meat, or up to 24 hours for the most flavor. Keep the ribs moist by adding more marinade about every 3 hours. Always marinate meat in the fridge and do not reuse leftover marinade.

Maintain a low and steady temperature: When smoking ribs, it's crucial to maintain a consistent temperature. Aim for a temperature between 225°F and 250°F (107°C and 121°C) throughout the cooking process. This slow and low cooking method helps break down the collagen in the meat and keeps it moist.

At 170 to 180 degrees, the meat is noticeably dryer, but the cooking time is a more manageable 6 to 8 hours. I start cooking ribs in the oven at around 200 degrees if they're wrapped in foil, and unwrapped ribs at 225 degrees to compensate for the cooling effect of evaporation from the exposed meat surface.

Wrapping your ribs are key if you want to lock in all of the moisture and flavor! Double wrap each rack of ribs securely and enjoy some ribs in no time.

The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy.

Place ribs, meat side down, in baking dishes. Cover the baking dishes with aluminum foil and place in the oven. If you are using small baby back ribs, take out after 3.5 hours. If you are using regular baby back or St. Louis style ribs, then take out after 4 hours.

Marinades and dry rubs both add tons of flavor and dimension to your recipes, but they work in totally different ways. While marinades are great for tenderizing the meat by breaking down muscle fibers and adding moisture, the flavor of a marinade is usually the focal point of the recipe.

As an acid, vinegar wears down the fibers, collagen, and protein found within the meat, allowing liquid to better enter the meat and resulting in succulent ribs. While you can use almost any type of vinegar you prefer, apple cider vinegar is a top-notch choice.

What should I season my ribs with? ›

Mix brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Rub into pork ribs. For best results, allow ribs to marinate overnight.

You may, if desired, spritz or mop your ribs while smoking with a liquid of your choice. Apple juice or cider, butter, Dr. Pepper, apple cider vinegar, beer… there are plenty of options.

Apple juice adds to the apple flavor of the rib sauce. It also creates steam inside the foil pack so the ribs don't dry out. If you don't have apple juice you can use orange or pineapple juice, stock/broth or just plain old water.

Place the ribs in the smoker, fat side up, and cook for 3 hours. Wrap each rack of ribs individually in foil with a little bit of apple juice or beer – this will help keep them moist and infuse some extra flavor. Place back in the smoker and cook for 2 more hours until tender but not falling apart.

Oil the grill grates. Place the ribs bone-side down, on the cooler part of the grill (indirect heat). Cover and cook, rotating the ribs once, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones, about 2 hours.

Smoke your ribs directly on the racks for 3 hours at 225°F.

Some people claim that butcher paper is the way to go, but I just don't see the logic there. Aluminum foil is perfect for pork ribs. It allows the ribs to cook in their own juices, as well as the delicious butter and sauce that I like to add about halfway through the smoke, like in our 3-2-1 smoked ribs recipe.