There are many ways to cook food outdoors, but cooking on a charcoal grill is definitely the most common and the most interesting one. The charcoal grill imparts a distinctive smoky flavor to foods and provides two separate cooking zones for you, which means you can grill in a hotter region while smoking in a cooler one simultaneously.
In this blog, we will walk you through all you need to know about how to cook different ribs on a charcoal grill, including a brief introduction to ribs, cooking time, and cooking tips.
CHARCOAL GRILL RIBS
As a traditional barbecue dish, ribs are one of the most popular foods in various countries around the globe. To cook more flavorful ribs on a charcoal grill, you need to know the types of ribs, mainly with baby back ribs and spare ribs.
BABY BACK RIBS V.S. SPARE RIBS
What are baby back ribs?
Baby back ribs are from the upper rib racks of pigs, where the ribs meet the spine. The ribs are called baby back ribs because their size is shorter than spare ribs. They are also known as pork loin ribs, back ribs, or loin ribs.
Baby back ribs range in length from 3 to 6 inches and weigh about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, depending on the size of the pig. These ribs are very tender and lean, so you need to choose a proper cooking method.
What are spare ribs?
Spare ribs are from the lower portion of pigs, specifically the belly and breastbone. These ribs are also called St. Louis-style spareribs or breastbone-off pork spareribs. Before selling, they are often removed breastbone and cartilage, so they are more rectangular than baby back ribs.
Spare ribs often include 11 to 13 long bones and range in weight about 2 1/2 pounds or more. They are more fatty and flatter than baby back ribs, making them easier to have a burnt brown color and easier to taste.
HOW LONG TO COOK RIBS ON A CHARCOAL GRILL?
Smoke ribs: About 5 to 5 1/2 hours ( 5 1/2 to 6 hours for spare ribs)
Grill ribs: About 1 1/2 hours (2 hours for spare ribs )
Barbecue ribs: About 5 hours (5 1/2 hours for spare ribs )
STEPS TO PREPARE RIBS
Step One:
Choose tender baby back ribs or spare ribs, the meatier, the better.
Step Two:
Carefully and slowly remove the membrane from one end using a sharp knife. You can use a paper towel for easy grip. You can also just rip the membrane off the ribs.
Step Three:
Trim the excess fat from ribs and cut it into the proper size depending on your charcoal grill. Make sure it is long enough to go on your grill.
Step Four:
If you want ribs to be more flavorful, you can score the bone side with a small knife in a shallow crosshatch pattern.
Step Five:
Rinse the ribs under the cold water and then drip-dry them until they are slightly wet so that they can stick to the rub. (If you don’t want to rinse the ribs, you can also mix olive oil with your favorite rub.)
Step Six:
Now we are ready to season. The top, bottom, sides, and ends of the ribs should all be seasoned. Wrap the seasoned ribs in plastic wrap and place them in a refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
Step Seven:
Remove the ribs 30 minutes before cooking.
HOW TO SMOKE RIBS ON A CHARCOAL GRILL?
What you will need:
- Baby back ribs or spare ribs
- Sauce (optional)
- Seasonings or dry rub(Optional)
- A charcoal grill with a lid
- Charcoal briquettes
- A water pan
- Aluminum foil
- A chimney starter
SMOKE RIBS OVER CHARCOAL
Step One:
Remove the cooking grates. Place a half-filled water bowl (with water, apple juice, or beer) on one side and half of the charcoals on the other, spreading the charcoals out. Pour the remaining charcoals into a chimney starter and set it on fire. Once the charcoals turn white, pour them onto the charcoal side of the grill and let them burn evenly. Sprinkle a handful of wood chips onto the top of the charcoals and spread them out. Then put the cooking grates in place and shut the lid to raise the inner temperature.
Step Two:
When the temperature reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, place the lid on and oil the cooking grates. Place baby back ribs/spare ribs directly on the cool side and smoke low and slow for 2 hours until they get some good colors.
Step Three:
After 2 hours, it is time to look at them and rotate them around to get a more smoky flavor. 1 more hour later, you can touch these ribs and no rubs come off and that’s when you need to wrap them up. Remove them from the grill and you can add extra honey, sweet, or spice sauce to them depending on personal tastes. Then wrap each rib in two layers of aluminum foil.
Step Four:
Place them back and smoke for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (1 1/2 to 2 hours for spare ribs). After that, remove the foil packet and check if the ribs are tender. When the ribs are tender enough, take the ribs out of the foil and brush on the sauce again. Put ribs directly on the grates and smoke for 1 more hour. Once they are done, remove the ribs and place them on board to rest for 5-10 minutes to cool down. Before serving, cut them in between the bones and serve them with delicious side dishes.
HOW TO GRILL RIBS ON A CHARCOAL GRILL?
What you will need:
- Baby back ribs or spare ribs
- Sauce (optional)
- Seasonings or dry rub (Optional)
- A charcoal grill with a lid
- Charcoal
- Aluminum foil
- A chimney starter
GRILL RIBS OVER CHARCOAL
Step One:
The process of preparing the ribs is the same as preparing the smoked ribs. When the ribs are ready, remove the cooking grates. Pour half of the charcoals into the grill and spread them out. Pour the remaining charcoals into a chimney starter and set them on fire. Once the coals turn white, pour them into the grill and let them burn evenly. Then put the cooking grates in place and shut the lid to raise the inner temperature.
(Preheating your charcoal grill can help you with grilling! )
Step Two :
When the temperature reaches about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the lid on. Then wrap each rib in two layers of aluminum foil. Place foil packets on the grill and cook them for 1 hour (1 1/2 hours for spare ribs). Flip the ribs occasionally to ensure even heating and prevent scorching.
Step Three:
About 1 hour later, it is time to look at them and check if the ribs are tender. Carefully remove the foil packets and open them. Remove the ribs and discard the foil. Add honey, sweet, or spice sauce to them depending on personal tastes. Then grill the ribs on the cooking grates directly for 10 minutes.
Step Four:
Once they are done, remove the ribs and put them on board to rest for 5-10 minutes to cool down. Before serving, cut them in between the bones and serve them with delicious side dishes.
HOW TO BARBECUE RIBS ON A CHARCOAL GRILL?
What you will need:
- Baby back ribs or spare ribs
- Sauce (optional)
- Seasonings or dry rub (Optional)
- A charcoal grill with a lid
- Aluminum foil
- A chimney starter
- Charcoal briquettes
- A water pan
BARBECUE RIBS OVER CHARCOAL
Step One:
The process of preparing the ribs is the same as preparing the grilled ribs. When the ribs are ready, remove the cooking grates. Place a half-filled water bowl (with water, apple juice, or beer) on one side and half of the charcoals on the other, spreading them out. Pour the remaining charcoals into a chimney starter and set them on fire. Once the coals turn white, pour them onto the charcoal side and let them burn evenly. Sprinkle a handful of wood chips onto the top of the charcoals. Then put the cooking grates in place and shut the lid.
Step Two :
When the temperature reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, place the lid on and oil the cooking grates, place baby back ribs/spare ribs directly on the hot side and cook for 15 minutes on each side to seal in the juices. Then carefully remove the ribs and brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce (homemade sauce or sauce sold at the supermarket).
Step Three :
Wrap each rib in two layers of aluminum foil. Place foil packets on the smoking side of the grill and smoke them for 4 hours (4 1/2 hours for spare ribs). Flip the ribs every 30 minutes to ensure even heating and prevent scorching.
Step Four :
After 4 hours (4 1/2 hours for spare ribs), it is time to take a look and check if the ribs are tender. Carefully remove the foil packets and open them. Remove the ribs and discard the foil. Add honey, sweet, or spice sauce to them depending on personal tastes. Then grill ribs on the cooking grates directly for 10 minutes.
Step Five:
Once they are done, remove the ribs and put them on board to rest for 5-10 minutes to cool down. Before serving, cut them in between the bones and serve them with delicious side dishes.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH RIBS?
Ribs are delicious indeed, but it’s often better to pair them with sides. From fresh vegetable salad sides to flavorful filling sides, these side dishes will enhance the rich flavor of ribs and add variety to ribs. It’s nice to try to combine these and find your favorite side for ribs. Let’s see some charcoal grill menus. Here is some inspiration for you.
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Roasted Carrots
- Brussels Sprouts
- Caesar Salad with Grilled Romaine Lettuce
- Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili-Lime Butter