This cross section shows the different cuts of ribs. For complete descriptions, click here.
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." - Mae West
You have come to the best place in the world for ribs recipes, for barbecue cooking tips and techniques, and the world's best buyer's guide to smokers and grilling accessories.
Whether you prefer pork baby back ribs or spare ribs or St. Louis cut, whether you prefer sticky Kansas City style red sauces, savory South Carolina mustard sauces, pungent Lexington vinegar sauces, or just plain Memphis style dry rub, whether you spell it BBQ, barbecue, barbeque, or Bar-B-Que, or even if you like your ribs Chinese style, this site has all you need to know. The emphasis is not on step-by-step recipes (although there are plenty), but on concepts and techniques.
Everyone loves ribs because they are primal, sensual eating. No forks, no linen, just meat on a stick, sauce on your face. "Don’t play with your food" doesn't apply when you're gnawing on ribs. Nothing is more fun to eat, and when they are cooked properly, there is damned little that tastes better.
No doubt the first ribs were shared by cavemen soon after the first forest fire. Since then, cooking with fire has always meant a gathering the clan outdoors, and there is no more intimate gathering than hanging around the fire with the sweet smell of smoke and meat in the air, with a beer in hand. To this day, nothing says "party" like ribs. The scent can make your nose smile and your mouth cry. Barbecue is pure porknography.
Ribs are easy to cook once you know how, yet they are the holy grail of backyard chefs from coast to coast. This website is for all the trash-talkers around the world who aspire to make the best ribs on the block, and then brag about them. It's not hard. Get plenty of napkins, strap on a bib (or better still, an apron), and dig in! And if you don't get messy, you're not doing it right!
Below are some of the best parts of this website.
To see everything, click here to see a complete sitemap.
Meathead's Hotstuff Awards
For the coolest in tools and toys, check Meathead's Hotstuff Awards.
An example: The Smokenator. For less than $50 you can easily convert a standard Weber Kettle into a smoker capable of making restaurant quality smoked ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, or salmon. If you have a Weber, you need a Smokenator.
Before you buy, check out the reviews in my Buying Guide. There is nothing in the world like this section. Just about every backyard smoker available is listed (except the shopping cart grill), and many of them have links to discount suppliers. There's a great page devoted to the best tools and toys you need, and the book reviews cover the best references available. Just click here.
I got first place on my ribs Sunday using your Vermont Maple Glazed Pig Candy recipe!
Steve Triplet
Galatia, IL
Well my wife just about jumped through her [rear end]. The ribs were fantastic!
Ted DuBose
East Perth, Australia
I took my leftovers to work and was mobbed when people smelled the aroma from the microwave.
Dale Ray
Wichita,KS
I have always loved cooking ribs but with our new gas grill they were never as good as charcoal. Well that all changed last night when I made the greatest ribs I have ever tasted. My wife wanted to know if I bought them somewhere and then claimed I cooked them myself.
Allen Nicley
Mont Alto, PA
We love your beans. My recipe has our guests tooting for a few days; I bet that yours will last a week!!!!
Peggy Bohl
I had two ribs and my boyfriend ate the other 3 1/2 pounds. He couldn't stop to talk. He had to bring a box of tissues to the table because these ribs are so good, they make him weep. And that's the truth. Of course, I make sure he has plenty of napkins, too. He tells me that my ribs have deepened his love for me. Well, fine, but I know that just means he wants more ribs:)
Nancy J. Mostad, Minnesota
I am in the process of opening a cafe and thought [your simple sweet sour slaw is] an amazing winner. Tested it tonight. All people could say was "More please!!!"
James Murray,
Toronto, Canada
All I have to say is OH MY GOD!!! They are hands down the best ribs I have ever tasted. Everyone begged me for the recipe.
Don't do it the way Weber tells you to do it. Click here to see how to do it right.
Best gas grill setup
The secret is in a pan of water between the meat and the heat.
Links
There are so many great resources on the internet: Associations, message boards, podcasts, blogs, and more. Just click here.
Newsletter
"Smoke Signals" is the irregular email newsletter I send out with news of new recipes and articles, current events, new products, and more. Just enter your email to subscribe. Click here for my privacy promise.
Stuck indoors? Try these:
Smoky sauna ribs. This technique makes verrrrry tender, juicy, ribs, indoors all year round.
Chinatown Char Siu Ribs (shown at right). Everybody loves those Chinese restaurant ribs. How do they do it? The secret is not the sauce, it's the marinade. You can do them at home on the grill or in the oven.
Hoisinful Nine Dragon Ribs. These may be the best Chinese ribs you ever tasted. And you can cook them indoors.
Chinese Five Spice Ribles. Fried and crispy, flavored with five spice powder, these ribs are the perfect finger food for parties.
You can kick restaurants in the ribs
The best news is that you can make better ribs at home than any restaurant, even the hallowed temples of barbecue such as Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Rendezvous in Memphis, and Kreuz Market in Lockhart Texas.
Most of these restaurants make hundreds of slabs, cooking them for 4-6 hours overnight or in the morning, and by the time you order them, they have been sitting in the holding oven for hours and are overcooked. Yes, the texture and flavor are fabulous, but you can do better at home simply by getting the timing down and delivering perfectly cooked ribs to your dining table better than any restaurant in the world!
The one requirement of all my recipes: When you're done, you must lick your fingers, leave a plate of bare bones, and exclaim "Amazing Ribs!"
Unless otherwise noted, all text, photos, and recipes are Copyright (c) by Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn. You need my written permission to publish or distribute anything on this website. But I'm easy. To contact me, click here.
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The Smokenator is the coolest tool I've seen this year. If you have a Weber Kettle grill, you need a Smokenator. Click here for more info. List is about $45. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
No doubt the first ribs were shared by cavemen soon after the first forest fire. Since then, cooking with fire has always meant a gathering the clan outdoors, and there is no more intimate gathering than hanging around the fire with the sweet smell of smoke and meat in the air, with a beer in hand. To this day, nothing says "party" like ribs. The scent can make your nose smile and your mouth cry. Barbecue is pure porknography.
Recipes
Links
Stuck indoors? Try these:
You can kick restaurants in the ribs
