Ribs are a delicacy enjoyed by nearly every region in the United States. Whether you enjoy Memphis, Kansas City, Sweet, Honey Barbecue, or some other style of ribs, you can use a couple different techniques that will result in fall off the bone deliciousness.
The ribs we enjoy as the ribs from a pig. These are meaty sections that have a bit of fat. The fat can be removed by skimming the ribs over with a knife or you can leave the fat on the ribs for added flavor and juiciness.
Preparing To Cook The Ribs: Marinades and Seasoning
If you want a lot of flavor, then you can season your ribs up to 24 hours ahead of time. You can use the standard salt and pepper, and other seasoning for savory flavors. You can also marinade the ribs for more moisture. The seasonings and marinades that you use on your ribs will depend on what flavor you wish to achieve. For smoky ribs, you can use mesquite seasoning and marinade. For sweet ribs, you can use a brown sugar rub. For Midwestern style ribs, you can use hot peppers. These seasonings can be sprinkled on the ribs and rubbed into the meat. For a marinade, for your desired flavor, you can use similar flavors of marinade. Cut your ribs in chunks and place them in a bowl or pan. Pour your marinade mixture over the ribs and place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Parboil, Bake, Or Grill: Which is better? Which gets the desired flavor?
Each of these techniques will yield a different cooking time and flavor. If you are seeking a healthy rib, you want to parboil and bake the ribs. You also want to limit the amount of sauce that you use because sauces tend to run high in sugar and fat. Parboiling your ribs ahead of time will decrease the amount of time that you bake or grill the ribs. If you are going to parboil the ribs, you will want to save the seasoning for after the boiling. Then, season the ribs just before you bake them. Baking your ribs is the easiest way to adjust to any flavor you wish to achieve. When you bake the ribs from the beginning, without parboiling, you will want to put them in a preheated oven of 400 degrees. Cover the ribs with foil, and bake them under they are tender and nearly fall off the bone. Most professional rib masters will tell you to grill your ribs. Grilling your ribs will help you achieve the ultimate tenderness they need to wow your audience. If you are not comfortable with grilling your ribs through and through, parboil or bake them first. Then, you can throw them on the grill for added flavor.
Sauces: What sauces achieve my desired flavor?
Whether you are trying to create Memphis style, Kansas City style, Texan, Western NC, Eastern NC, or some other style of ribs, there are plenty of different flavor combinations that will send your ribs from good to amazing! For Memphis style ribs, you want to try a combination of ketchup, onions, brown sugar, hot sauce, and mustard. For Kansas City style ribs, you can use ketchup, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, and white vinegar. To create Texan ribs use red pepper flakes, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, onion, and ketchup. For Western NC ribs, use ketchup, mustard, onion flakes, cayenne powder, and chili powder. Eastern NC ribs can be achieved by using cider vinegar, brown sugar, and your choice of red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
