Saucy, sweet, savory, delicious — all the makings of the perfect spareribs can be found in this pit master-approved recipe.
.Ingredients:
2 racks Chairman’s Reserve® spareribs
Big Poppa’s Sweet Money Championship Rub
1 bottle Nippon Shokken Teriyaki Sauce
4 oz apple juice
Olive oil spray
Directions:
- Set up your gas grill with the left and right burners set to LOW and the center burner set to OFF. Also, make sure there is an upper rack/second shelf in your grill, you will need this later.
- Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane on the back/bone side. Season liberally with Big Poppa’s Sweet Money Championship Rub on both sides.
- Spray with olive oil spray, set aside and let the seasoning “melt” until the ribs are shiny, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take a full aluminum pan, place the ribs in the pan, and add about 4 oz of apple juice. Place pan on the center of the grill, covered, and cook for about an hour.
- After an hour, remove from the pan and place ribs on the upper rack, re-season with Big Poppa’s Sweet Money Championship Rub, close the lid and cook for about 40 more minutes.
- Remove the racks from the shelves and place over the direct hot zones (on low) on the left and right of the grill — cook for 10 minutes with the lid closed, flip and repeat for another 10 minutes.
- When you have the color you want, check for doneness and internal temp. Ribs are normally done between 200ºF and 210ºF, but it’s about feel.
- To check for doneness, pick up ribs on both ends of the rack, and if there is a nice bend or “smile,” then they are done. If they are board stiff, place back on the upper shelf and cook with the lid closed for another 15 minutes and try again.
- Once your ribs have reached the desired doneness, it’s time for saucing. You will also be using the upper shelf for this. Place a sheet of foil over the center-bottom level of your grill to catch any sauce drips.
- Place the racks of ribs on the upper shelf with the meat side down, baste with the Nippon Shokken Teriyaki Sauce, flip and sauce the meat side.
- Close the lid of your grill with the sauced ribs on the rack for 5 minutes to “set” the sauce. Remove ribs from the grill, rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve.
Pro tip: This recipe is for ribs on a gas grill, but you can also try it with any other charcoal grill or smoker.
Pro tip: Pick up each rack and twist each end of the rack in opposite directions. If you feel a ton of resistance, they aren’t done. If they are pliable, they’re ready.
Pro tip: If you choose to return the ribs to the direct heat zones while sauced, pay close attention because the sauce has tons of sugars that will burn easily.
Recipe courtesy of pitmaster Sterling Ball.
