Memphis Wet Ribs for a Crowd

By lorik

This recipe requires heavy duty aluminum foil; a 13 by 9 inch disposable aluminum pan; kitchen twine; and two rimmed baking sheets.

Ingredients

• Spice Rub:
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp granulated garlic
• Barbecue Sauce:
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp pepper
• Mop:
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• Ribs:
• 4 2 1/2 to 3 lb racks St. Louis style spare ribs, trimmed, membrane removed
• 2 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
• 1 13 x 9 inch disposable aluminum pan

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from Cooks Country

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 Tbsp 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 1/4 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.

5. Open bottom vent halfway and place disposable roasting pan on 1 side of grill. Fill pan with 2 quarts of water. Arrange 3 quarts unlit charcoal on other side of grill. Light large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal. 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 for 5 minutes.

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) and cook 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 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Return to oven and continue to bake until tender, basting with 1/2 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 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut ribs between bones to separate and serve.