Memphis-Style Wet Ribs for a Crowd

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This recipe requires heavy-duty aluminum foil; a 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan (or an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan for a gas grill); kitchen twine; and two rimmed baking sheets. You’ll get the best results from a charcoal grill. If you’re cooking with gas, you’ll need a large grill with at least three burners. If you’d like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute two medium wood chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, for the wood chip packet.

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Ingredients

  • SPICE RUB
  • 1/4 cup paprika
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • BARBECUE SAUCE
  • 1 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • MOP
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • RIBS
  • 4 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) racks St. Louis-style spareribs, trimmed, membrane removed
  • 2 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
  • 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal) or 1 (8 1/2 by 6-inch) disposable aluminum pan (if using gas)

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE SPICE RUB: Combine all ingredients in bowl.

2. FOR THE BARBECUE SAUCE: Combine ketchup, apple juice, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and 2 tablespoons spice rub in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Off heat, stir in pepper; set aside.

3. FOR THE MOP: Whisk apple juice, vinegar, mustard, and ¼ cup barbecue sauce together in bowl.

4. FOR THE RIBS: Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season all over with remaining spice rub. Place 1 rack of ribs, meaty side down, on cutting board. Place second rack of ribs, meaty side up, directly on top of first rack, arranging thick end over tapered end. Tie racks together at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Repeat with remaining 2 racks of ribs. (You should have 2 bundles of ribs.) Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top.

5A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway and place disposable roasting pan on 1 side of grill. Fill pan with 2 quarts water. Arrange 3 quarts unlit charcoal briquettes on other side of grill. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over unlit coals. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.

5B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Place wood chip packet and disposable pan over primary burner and fill pan with 2 cups water. Turn primary burner to high (leave other burners off), cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature of 275 to 300 degrees.)

6. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place ribs on cooler side of grill and baste with one-third of mop. Cover (positioning lid vent over ribs for charcoal) and cook for 2 hours, flipping and switching positions of ribs and basting again with half of remaining mop halfway through cooking.

7. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. Cut kitchen twine from racks. Transfer 2 racks, meaty side up, to each sheet. Baste with remaining mop and bake for 2 hours, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

8. Remove ribs from oven and brush evenly with ½ cup barbecue sauce. Return to oven and continue to bake until tender, basting with ½ cup barbecue sauce and rotating and switching sheets twice during baking, about 45 minutes. (Ribs do not need to be flipped and should remain meaty side up during baking.)

9. Transfer ribs to carving board. Brush evenly with remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut ribs in between bones to separate. Serve.

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