Backyard Barbeque Ribs

Why This Backyard Barbeque Ribs Works

During the long time on the grill, the ribs cook low and slow inside the foil. The steady 275°F heat slowly breaks down the tough parts in the meat, so the ribs loosen up and become tender instead of chewy. Wrapped in foil, the ribs sit in their own steam, so the meat stays moist and doesn’t dry out while it softens.

All the dry spices and brown sugar pressed onto the ribs melt a bit as they warm up. They soak into the surface and form a thin, tasty layer under the foil. By the time the foil comes off, that rub has stuck to the meat instead of falling off.

Once the ribs are unwrapped, the sauce with barbeque sauce, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and mustard powder goes on. On the hotter, open grill, the honey and sugar in the sauce start to thicken and darken on the outside. The sauce sticks to the ribs and tightens into a shiny, sticky coating while the inside stays juicy from the slow foil cooking.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the grill run hotter than 275°F makes the ribs cook too fast. The outside tightens and can even scorch while the inside connective tissue hasn’t had time to soften, so the ribs end up tough and chewy instead of pulling cleanly from the bone.

Wrapping the ribs loosely in foil often leads to dry meat. Steam and juices escape instead of staying around the ribs, so the meat doesn’t braise in its own moisture and comes out stringy instead of tender.

Skipping the long covered cook and going straight to saucing on the grill keeps the ribs from ever getting soft. The sauce may look glossy and caramelized, but the meat underneath stays firm and hard to bite through.

Unwrapping the ribs and dumping on a thick layer of sauce too early in the final grilling can cause burning. The sugars in the honey and barbeque sauce darken fast, so the surface turns bitter and charred while the glaze underneath stays sticky and uneven.

Cutting into the ribs right off the grill lets a lot of hot juices run out. The meat then cools off dry and slightly tough instead of staying moist and easy to slice.