Grilling pork to perfection

• More rib recipes for the grill

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Grilled barbecued pork ribs offer a delicious welcome to summer. Experiment until you find your favorite recipe to be added to the annals of family cookouts. Gannett News Service

Easy, straightforward and no one gets hurt.

Elsewhere, however, barbecue is the stuff of wars and legends. Beef or pork, and which cuts? Marinated, rubbed or parboiled? Which fuel and what type of grill? Brushed with sauce, and if so, which sauce? Sweet or vinegary? Served on the bone or "pulled?"

What about side dishes? Cole slaw? White bread? Corn bread? Baked beans? Fried dill pickles?

Entire books have been written on these individual issues alone.

Today, however, our goal is to introduce pork ribs, one of the most popular types of barbecue.

Lovers of pork ribs are fiercely loyal, committed, staunch in their support. They like getting their hands dirty. They enjoy tending the fire, the flues and the wood chips. They want to experiment with wood and charcoal, rubs and sauces, fast and slow cooking.

So we venture into their world, where the tantalizing aromas and tastes of grilled ribs offer a delicious welcome to summer.

There are three types of pork ribs, each with its own fan club.

Cook all of these ribs with indirect heat for one and one-half to two hours. Smoking is optional.

Any sauce should be brushed on during the last 15 minutes. Serving-size recommendations are generous.

You may not be able to find all of these cuts at the grocery store all of the time, especially if you need a lot of them. It pays to call ahead and order.

1. Baby back ribs: Cut from the blade and center section of the loin (toward the front of the pig). They're called "baby" because they're smaller than spareribs. Baby back ribs are expensive because there is such high demand; restaurants serve baby backs. Plan one pound per person.
2. Spareribs: Come from the belly or side of the hog and are longer than baby back ribs. They are meaty and flavorful. They're usually half the price of baby backs. Plan on one pound per serving.
3. Country-style ribs: The meatiest of ribs, cut from the rib end of the loin, toward the back of the pig but not into the sirloin. These are knife-and-fork ribs. You may prefer these braised in foil on the grill. Plan on one-third to one-half pound per person.

Tools you can use

• Wire brush: Experienced grilling guys and gals don't obsess about cleaning the grill top. Heat discharged during grilling burns debris for the most part, and certainly kills bacteria. But if black grunge remains on top of the grate, scour it off using a brush with stiff brass bristles (look for one with a scraper at the end). Available at discount and hardware stores.
• Grill gloves: From Grilla Gear, or use any other heavy grilling or fireplace gloves that allow you to get into the fire and scoot the heat around without burning your hand. Look for a long sleeve that also protects your arm. Click on www.premiumknives.com and click on grilling for Grilla Gear, or go to any hardware, grill or fireplace store for other heat-resistant gloves.
• Barbecue hook: If tongs aren't secure enough to flip a whole rack of ribs, a barbecue hook flips them easily with a twist of the wrist. Available at www.pigtailff.com.

That's the rub

Virtually any combination of dry or semi-dry ingredients can be blended or pounded together to create a rub for ribs. Dry spices can be mixed and stored on the shelf; if you've added garlic or fresh herbs to the rub, use it soon.

• Simple spice ribs: Combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and one-half teaspoon cayenne pepper. Rub on 2 to 3 pounds of ribs.
• Chili ribs: Combine 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed and 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed in a small skillet or pan on medium heat. Shake the pan for 1 or 2 minutes, until the spices are aromatic. Pour into a blender or spice grinder. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 large cloves of garlic. Blend until fairly smooth, stirring to remix before blending again. Rub on 6 or so pounds pork ribs.
• Mediterranean ribs: Combine 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons black peppercorns in a blender and blend 30 seconds. Add 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and fresh rosemary leaves from 4 inches of rosemary stem. Blend until it's fairly finely mixed. Rub on 6 or so pounds pork ribs.

Indirect heat

This rib-cooking method yields tender, smoky ribs. Use it for spareribs or baby backs. When you wrap the ribs with aluminum foil, you can add the sauce then or wait and pass it later.

Ribs need long, slow cooking to become tender. In the grill, that requires indirect heat.

On a gas grill, that means putting the ribs on one side and turning on the heat of the opposite burner.

In a charcoal grill, it means arranging the coals so the meat is not directly over them.

Sara Fritschner of the Louisville (Ky.) Courier Journal and Wanda Adams of The Honolulu Advertiser contributed to this report.

More rib recipes for the grill

Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

Two recipes — one using a marinade and another using a spicy rub — illustrate how to achieve distinctively different tastes with summer's favorite finger food.

The following spice rub comes from "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Denis Kelly and Bruce Aidels (Houghton Mifflin, $35).

Spicy Rubbed Ribs

• 2 tablespoons paprika, preferably Hungarian
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (preferably Gebhardt)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard, preferably Colman's
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 3-pound racks of spareribs (approximately)
• 1 to 2 cups barbecue sauce of choice

Combine the first 11 ingredients for the rub in a small bowl or jar. Stir or mix to blend evenly and set aside (will keep well in a sealed jar for a month or two). You'll make about 1 cup, good for 3 racks of ribs.

Remove the clear membrane from the back of the spareribs using the point of a paring knife (this will help the ribs be more tender when they're done). Rub the meat with the spice mixture, covering all surfaces generously. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour before cooking.

Choose your method of indirect grilling and then place a disposable aluminum container full of water where there's a space for it. Add soaked wood chips to the top of the hot coals.

Place ribs on the grill over the water pan and close the top. Partly close the vents so that there's enough draft to keep the coals burning but only enough to keep the temperature at 200 to 250 degrees. Every 45 minutes, move the ribs' position on the grate and turn them over. Add more coals and wood chips as necessary to keep the fire at a low but steady level.

After the meat has cooked four hours, remove from the grill. Place each rack on a large piece of aluminum foil. If you like, drizzle each rib with some of the barbecue sauce and wrap tightly in the aluminum foil. (You can also wrap the ribs without the barbecue sauce).

Place the packages back on the grill (or in a 200-degree oven) and cook another two to four hours (adding charcoal as necessary). Open and serve. Serves 6.

Steven Raichlen's Asian-Flavored Ribs

Raichlen's books all win prizes, but his most recent — "How to Grill" (Workman, $35) — may be his best.

• 4 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 pounds)
• 4 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 to 6 jalapeno peppers or Thai chilies, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce or an equal amount of soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

For serving:

• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

• 1 thick piece carrot (3 inches long)
• 3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or more lime juice)
• 1 to 2 serrano peppers or Thai chilies, cut crosswise into paper-thin slivers
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Remove the thin, clear membrane from the back of each rack of ribs (or have your meat cutter do this). Arrange ribs in a large pan of nonreactive metal (such as stainless or nonstick).

To make the marinade: Place the lemon grass, garlic, shallots, ginger, jalapenos and cilantro in a bowl made of nonreactive material (such as glass or stainless steel).

Stir in the sugar, coriander, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, lemon juice and oil.

Pour this mixture over the ribs, rubbing it onto the meat on both sides. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or as long as 12. Turn the ribs two or three times while marinating.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a drip pan under the grilling surface.

When ready to cook, place the ribs, preferably in a rib rack, in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat and cover the grill. Grill until cooked and tender, an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add two dozen fresh coals after one hour.

When the ribs are cooked, the meat will have shrunk back from the bones about one-fourth inch and will be tender enough to tear apart with your fingers. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes, then, using a chef's knife, cut the racks into individual ribs and place on plates or a platter. Sprinkle with the cilantro and peanuts and serve at once with dipping sauce.

To make dipping sauce: Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrot lengthwise into paper-thin strips. Stack the strips four high and cut lengthwise into hair-thin slivers. Rinse these slivers in a strainer under cold water and blot dry with paper towels.

Place the sugar and garlic in a nonreactive mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the water, fish sauce, lime juice and rice vinegar and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Stir in the serrano pepper and black pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding sugar or lime juice as necessary; the sauce should be sweet, sour and salty. Pour the sauce into tiny bowls for dipping and sprinkle the carrot slivers on top.

Serves four.