R & R Baby Back Ribs

For most of my adult life, when we had BBQ ribs that meant country style ribs in the crock pot with some bottled BBQ sauce poured on top. I was a little intimidated by baby back ribs on the grill.

I finally took them on and, after a little trial and error, I think we have it down.

We grill I use is a grill I built myself out of brick pavers. When I knew it was time for a new grill a few years ago, we had the debate on whether we should grill with a gas grill or a charcoal grill.

There are pros and cons to both but in the end, we went with charcoal and I built it myself. No mortar necessary.

Back to the ribs . . .

They’re called R & R Baby Back Ribs because my last name and Tommy’s last name, even though they different, both begin with R and this was a combined effort.

I mix together a rub that is rubbed on the ribs the night before to accentuate the flavor.

First gather the ingredients:

Mix together 1 Tbsp ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp paprika, 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tsp salt.

I only use about 1/3 of this rub per rack of ribs so if you don’t need it all, it will store well in a jar for future use.

Then take your rack of ribs

and remove them from the package. With a sharp knife loosen a corner of the membrane on the back side of the ribs and grab hold of it and peel it off. This will make them easier to slice and eat when they are done.

Rub about 2 Tbsp of BBQ rub onto the ribs making sure to get both sides seasoned. Let them sit in the fridge overnight for the best flavor.

When ready to grill. Heat the grill to medium heat. I have a charcoal grill so this takes a little time.

Wrap the ribs in a double layer of aluminum foil.

Once the grill is at a medium heat, place the ribs on direct (yes I said direct) heat. Add more charcoal about every 15 minutes or so to maintain the heat level. I cover the ribs with a large disposable aluminum pan to keep the heat in since my grill is made of brick and doesn’t have a lid.

Cook about 25 minutes on each side then test for doneness.

If they aren’t quite tender enough keep cooking for about another 15 minutes or so.

Now you may notice that I don’t have photo’s of the grilling process. That’s because when we did this, it was still a little cold outside and I’m a wimp.

So Tommy braved the elements alone.

Oh . . . I was out there for about the first half of the grilling, but I made the excuse that I needed to finish cooking the rest of the meal indoors and deserted the post.

Once the ribs are tender, remove them from the foil and place directly on the grill for about 5 -10 minutes. You can brush them with BBQ sauce during that grilling time, or not, which ever you prefer. We usually just have it available at the table in case someone wants it.

Transfer to a cutting board and let rest about 10 minutes before cutting in to individual ribs.

And then there’s that bottle of Malbec made in the good ole USA! California born and raised . . . and then fermented . . . and aged, bottled . . . aged some more . . . did some traveling . . . and retired in Illinois. We recycled the bottle so, who knows, we may meet again someday. . . I know . . . cheesy.

1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Your favorite BBQ sauce
3 racks of baby back ribs

Mix the first 5 ingredients together.

Pull the membrane off the back of the ribs with a sharp knife.

Rub spices onto the ribs, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the grill to medium heat.

Wrap Ribs in double thickness heavy duty foil.

Grill on direct heat covered for 25 minutes on each side.

Test doneness with a fork between the bones. If not tender continue to cook 15 – 20 minutes longer.

Remove from foil and grill directly on grate about 5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before cutting in to individual ribs.

You can brush on BBQ sauce and the end of grilling or serve on the side if desired.

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