Those delectable ribs
Almost everybody loves ribs. They are delicious morsels of succulent meat on a stick.
Scamper’s general style is to avoid excessive chit chat and get right to the recipes.
If we want a recipe, we frequently skip the personal memoirs.
Don’t do that this time.
This is important rib information.
There are beef ribs and there are pork ribs. They are not the same.

Short ribs – beef – Beef ribs are bigger. They have much more meat and they have more fat.
As long as you cook them slowly, they have some of the most tender pieces of meat that you’ve ever enjoyed.
Baby back ribs- pork – These are less fatty and very tender.
Spare ribs- either beef or pork – These are the cheapest ribs. They can be tough. When they are served in Chinese restaurants, they are marinated for hours on end and cooked slowly.
BBQ styles
Barbecue is regionally defined in the US
Memphis – dry rub with a thin tomato or mustard sauce added at the end
Kansas City – sweet, sticky thick tomato based sauce
The Carolinas- North Carolina and South Carolina each have many different areas with slightly different styles but the base is usually vinegar. Mustard or tomato is added depending on the specific area.
Ribs are usually cooked on the grill in the area with no direct heat for about 1 1/2 hrs. They can also be cooked in the oven at 300 , covered for about 5 hours.
Ingredients
- 7 lbs ribs. About 3 racks of baby backs
The rub
- 1/4 c sweet paprika
- 4 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 4 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- Mix all of the ingredients together
The Sauce
- 2 c cider vinegar
- 1/2 c yellow mustard
- 2 tsp salt
Mix together
Preparation
- Take the ribs and apply the rub. Use your hands and be sure to get it in every nook and cranny.
- Save the extra to sprinkle on the meat in the last 15 min on the grill
- Grill the ribs for 1 hr
- Baste them with sauce
- Grill for another 30 min
- After 15 min, sprinkle extra rub on them for flavor
- After another 15-20 min they should be done

Ingredients
- 7 lbs baby back ribs
- 2 c apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Preparation
- Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan
- Whisk and boil until the salt and sugar have melted. 5-7 min
- Let it cool
- Baste the ribs with the sauce
- Grill the ribs for about 1 1/2 hrs
- Baste frequently. About every 30 min
Ingredients
- 7 lbs ribs
- Rub
- 1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp cayenne
Mix the ingredients together and rub into meat
Chill at least 1 hr
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 c tomato sauce
- 1/3 c packed brown sugar
- 1/4 c ketchup
- 1/4 c molasses
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
Preparation
- Sauté the onion in the oil in a sauce pan, about 7 min
- Add remaining ingredients
- Boil and stir 5-7 min. Until it’s smooth
- Let it cool
- Wrap the ribs in foil and put them on the grill
- After 1 hr baste the ribs with sauce
- Rewrap and put them back in the grill for about 35 min
- Baste them again and return them to the hottest part of the grill for 10 min, uncovered

Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 c soy sauce
- 1/4 c dark sesame oil
- 1-2 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 c mirin
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, preferably citrus flavored
Taste it
If you want more salt, add soy; More sweetness, add honey; Tangier, vinegar
Preparation
- Stick the ribs in a zip lock bag, split them between 2 bags if you need to
- Marinate them for 15 min- overnight depending on your schedule
- Preheat oven to 300
- Bake for 5 hrs, in an oven pan
- Cover with foil
- Turn them with tongs every 45 min
- And add some left over marinade each time
- Serve with grilled pineapple or mango
- And a spinach salad with either a fresh batch of the same marinade/ dressing or a ginger dressing
- If you have persnickety vegetarian guests, add some dollops of goat cheese to their salad and call it a day. They will love it.
Ingredients
- Beef ribs
- Fresh rosemary
- Salt

Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 300
- Salt the ribs
- Toss them in an oven proof pan
- Toss in a few sprigs of rosemary
- Cover with foil
- Bake them for 5 hrs
- When the spirit moves you, flip them with tongs and recover
One additional note
You can save the fat, after you’ve removed the ribs and use it just like oil.
We have used it with a box of spaetzle (German egg noodle dumplings) boiled as directed.
Sauté some onions and vegetables in the fat and toss it with the spaetzle.
Serve it on the side. Everyone will love it!
Next time
The best sauces
Enjoy your ribs
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