Making Fabulous Ribs On A Charcoal Grill

When it comes to making ribs on a charcoal grill, there are several steps to getting them just right. Follow these steps and you'll be a grill master in no time!

Use the right charcoal

For ribs, which need a long time to cook, use charcoal briquettes instead of the "hardwood lump" charcoal. The reason is that the briquettes burn slower and less hot than the hardwood lump. That kind of charcoal is better for meat that needs to be seared on the outside as well as cooked on the inside. You don't want to do that with ribs. 

Use a dry rub to get started

A dry rub is a combination of spices that you can spread on all parts of the rib, and when combined with barbecue sauce, will make for some of the best tasting ribs you've ever had. You can use cayenne, chili power, lemon pepper, cracked black pepper, garlic power, dried onion, kosher salt, dry mustard, and many more to mix just the right combination, tasting it all along the way to see if you're on the right track. Make sure all surfaces of the ribs are coated fully with the spice mixture.

Watch the grill temperature

You want to get the coals going at about half of the "full-blown hot" temperature. Do not let it get super-hot or you will definitely burn the ribs. Add barbecue sauce when they're about half doneKeep turning along the way, and then when you think they're about half done, grab your brush and coat them with barbecue sauce. Since they've been cooking for a while, the dry rub will stay intact, and the sauce will be added to that, making for a dynamite flavor combination. 

Add hickory chips when near completion

About 10 minutes before they're ready to pull from the grill, take some hickory chips that have been soaked in water and toss them in the edges of the grill, and close the vents all around. That will produce a lot of smoke that imparts itself onto the ribs for an unbelievably good taste. 

Remove ribs when blackened 

...Or at least dark on the outside and they've been on the grill for  30 minutes to 1 hour - longer if a lower temperature is used. It's hard to burn ribs unless you're using incredibly hot temperatures, but they can get dry. Look for the meat to start pulling away from the bones; they're done at that point.

Making ribs on a charcoal grill can be fairly easy to do, and with the right combination of dry rub spices, barbecue sauce, and hickory smoke, a crowd-pleaser any time of year.