Lone Star Grillz Hanging Around Ribs
As barbecue has become more mainstream the market has been flooded with barbecue sauces and rubs, and some get caught up into masking the natural wood fire flavor of smoked meats with these sugary sweet spices. As competition barbecue popularity has grown so has the cooking methods. Some might wrap with tin foil, and others will wrap with paper. Some add braising liquids and others use sugary juices, butter, brown sugar, honey, or a combination of all of them.
Browse any social media barbecue site, blog or group and you will regularly see backyard barbecue dads, dudes, bros and ladies throwing down some killer looking competition style of barbecue in their outdoor cooking spaces. Here’s the thing about competition barbecue cooks. They are cooking and judging on one bite barbecue. There is no denying competition style barbecue tastes amazing, but is it ideal for the backyard cookout?
One of the staples of barbecue are pork ribs and the foundation of barbecue seasoning is salt, pepper and garlic. With this post we wanted to get back to the basic barbecue principles with a simple salt, pepper, garlic no wrap style rib. Barbecue is primitive and we want to spread some primitive barbecue awareness with this recipe.
In today's post we are hanging ribs in the Lone Star Grillz large Insulated Vertical Smoker. If you don’t have the cooking space to hang ribs don’t fret. This recipe can be cooked on any cooking grate in just about any barbecue.
Equipment
- Spray bottle.
- Hooks.
- Properly seasoned wood splits or wood chunks.
- Instant read thermometer (recommended not required).
Seasoning
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- Garlic.
*Nothing more nothing less.
Basting Liquid
- Water.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
As you can tell by the equipment and ingredients above, not much is needed for this cook. The point of this recipe is to make a healthy tasty rack of ribs that are keto, carnivore, paleo and whole30 diet friendly without sacrificing flavor.
Start by preparing your smoker and preheat to 225 degrees. For this cook we used hickory and apple wood chunks. My go to wood combination blend is cherry and pecan woods. If you are using hickory or mesquite wood remember a little goes a long way.
As your grill is pre-heating, score the membrane and season your ribs with a quality salt, pepper, and garlic. The stuff you get from the grocery store will work but quality fresh seasonings will elevate the flavor profile. Next prepare the basting liquid by mixing equal parts water, apple cider vinegar and a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce in a spray bottle and mix by shaking.
Once the grill is preheated, thread a hook between one of the bones and hang the rack of ribs in your smoker. I previously mentioned we were using the LSG IVS for this cook and we hung the rib from the catch just below the chimney inside the pit.
The benefit to hanging ribs is as the fat renders it drips and there is no place on the surface area of the ribs for the rendered fat to pool. This allows constant air flow on the entire surface of the ribs allowing for a nice bark to develop.
Cook the ribs for at least one hour before opening the pit to check them. After the first hour open the pit and perform a wipe test by gently wiping your finger across the ribs. If the seasoning comes off on your finger let them ride for another 30 minutes before checking again. Once the ribs pass the wipe test, mist with the basting liquid every 30 minutes.
These ribs should be done in about five to six hours. Cook until you have a nice mahogany color, pull-back on the bones and a bend in the ribs when held. If you are unsure what to look for or trying to achieve that perfect bite, check with an instant read thermometer and pull when the ribs reach between 197 and 201 degrees. It's important not to overcook the ribs when they are hanging because they will literally fall off the bone.
Once the ribs are finished let them rest for 15 minutes, slice and enjoy this basic no wrap style rack of ribs.
