If there’s one thing I love every now and then, it’s a really good spare rib. A good bark, great flavor, juicy, tender and a NOT fall off the bone rib! See, ribs should have a sweet spot where they have a beautiful “bite” but don’t slide off the bone and slap you on the chin! These Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs deliver on all points.

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs with Cheers Boston Baked Beans

Not that I’ve ever actually entered my Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs in an actual competition, but I used to think about it in my younger days, way before I knew what all went into that! Talk about an art form! Well, you won’t need a big rig to make these ribs. Just rig up your barbecue, oven roast or, and I’m going there, use your Instant Pot.

About Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs:

My Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs are served “dry” meaning they aren’t sauced before they come to the table. Which isn’t to say that you can’t sauce them and let them caramelize on your grill or under the broiler for delicious, sticky caramelized sauce cooked right into your ribs. It’s a personal preference, and since they’re my ribs and it’s my blog, I’m serving them dry. See how bossy I can get!

Serving the ribs dry shows off my special, secret rib rub and you get to choose whatever sauce you want at the table. I have a couple of rib rubs on my site already but this one I fiddled with over the years to get what I think is a “classic” taste. There’s not one particular “style” to my rib rub, just a touch of sweet, a back note of heat and maybe a bit of sass.

When making rubs, I never use products that already have salt in them. I like to control the salt, don’t want to pay a premium for it & I want to know what kind of salt is in the product.

There’s a rule of thumb on using kosher as opposed to table salt. Anytime a rub or marinade is going to be on a meat for more than 2 to 3 hours, you don’t want to use table salt because of the iodine. Morton’s has a salt conversion table that comes in handy, although it does not cover every brand of kosher salt.

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs, Oven, Instant Pot or Smoked

Making Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs:

It’s a lot to cover in one post, making Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs on a grill, in the oven, or in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. If you have hours, smoking is your best bet. If you don’t have an Instant Pot and can’t smoke, use the oven or slow cooker. If you do have an IP, try it. The ribs are tender in no time, and when seasoned just right, they’re great.

With any ribs, time is your friend when cooking and seasoning. If you can, rub them the night before and let them sit overnight. Some of those proteins are drawn out of the meat and mingle with the rub, and are going to get you the marvelous taste you want. If you can’t hang with overnight, go as long as you can.

If you’re smoking Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs, I’ve set up a PDF on how to set up your grill. Allow four to six hours of actual cooking at 225 degrees. If you want more info, check out Amazing Ribs. I love those guys!

If you’re oven cooking ribs, go up to 300 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. In the Instant Pot, you’ll set it for 25 minutes on high with a 20-minute release. In a slow cooker, 4 to 6 hours on high, 6 to 8 hours on low. If oven, or IP, or slow cooking, the ribs need to go under the broiler for about five minutes or on the grill till nicely caramelized.

Ribs are done when they can be bent and are close to breaking, with a definite crack to the meat. They should be just holding together, and as mentioned before, not quite falling off the bone.

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs, Oven, Instant Pot or Smoked

Preparing the Rack for Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs:

Let’s talk about the rack of ribs you’ll get at the store. Unless you can buy a St. Louis Style rack of ribs, your rack is going to be embedded in a big, flat hunk of meat and needs to be trimmed.

Turn the ribs so the curved side is up and it’s running horizontally the long way, horizontally. “Feel” with your knife for the spot you can cut through, just above the top of the ribs, and remove that big hunk of meat. Your knife should slice through between the end of the ribs and the beginning of the “rib tip” with no problem.

There’s a weird “overgrowth” of “flap meat” over part of the ribs, maybe a little, maybe a lot. Hack that off to reveal the ribs below it. Then remove the silvery membrane across the ribs.

With your knife, loosen up a corner, enough to get a grip, and using a paper towel or cloth for traction, grab it and pull across the ribs, slowly and steadily. The membrane should come right up. Now and then, you need to really work at it and take more than one try. Get it the best you can.

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs, Oven, Instant Pot or Smoked

What to do with the trimmings from the Ribs:

Once trimmed, set the trimmings aside and discard the membrane. Now, some people use those trimmings as a kind of chef’s snack. I’m a little more frugal, so I’ll turn those into a secondary meal. I use them in my Denver Green Chili, my New Mexican Pozole, or in my newest creation, coming soon, Yucatan Pork Stew, or sometimes my Brunswick Stew.

Depending on what I’m making, sometimes I like to cook those trimmings (although I might not season or rub them, so they are more neutral in flavor) right along with my ribs. You can do the same or stash them in the freezer for later cooking.

• If I’m smoking on the grill, I put the trimmings in a foil packet and watch them. They’ll take a couple of hours, but usually not as long as the ribs. Just turn them now and then and check after three hours or so.
• If I’m cooking inside, I might cook the trimmings right along with the ribs or might stash them in the freezer for later.

With any inside cooking method, there is a bonus. You’ll have wonderful, flavorful juices. Save any juices (you probably won’t have any juices if you’re smoking) and keep those for one of those secondary meals I listed above if they strike your fancy or a recipe of your own. Never waste flavor, right?

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Saving Money on Groceries:

What you pay for groceries depends not only on WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.

• The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Use these sales not just for your holiday, but to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
• Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality; be selective.

Pork Spare Ribs:

Buy on sale; the best are before the Summer Holidays. You’ll see some before the Super Bowl. Random sales happen. Ribs weigh enough that a price variation can make a big difference in what you pay for a rack.

Your buyers’ club is one of the best places to find decent quality at a reasonable price; grocery sales are often less with good quality.

• Choose ribs that have reddish pink color (avoid pale or grey, but if buying frozen expect the color to be lighter) and have good meat coverage; no thin areas or bones showing through the top.
• Shoot for relatively uniform size from one end to the other; turn the rack over and look for straight bones. This ensures the ribs cook evenly and each rib is large enough to serve.
• Most ribs are sold untrimmed in cryovac plastic. See above for text and photos on breaking ribs down to St. Louis style.
• If freezing ribs, breaking down first will take less space and make stacking easier; they’ll lose the protection of the cryovac, so wrap well.
• Don’t waste the trimmings; some cook and serve as a chef’s snack, or chuck in the freezer only to be tossed later, they can be the basis of a whole different meal.
• If cooking or partially cooking inside (braising, roasting, slow cooker, or Instant Pot), don’t waste the juices; they are a perfect base for barbecue sauce (or to add to soups).
• Always serve ribs with lots of sides! Not only is it expected, it helps stretch the pricier protein!

Rib Rubs & Seasonings:

• Making your own spice mixes like Rib Rub, especially if you’ve picked up your spices and herbs at a low price to start with, will always save money.
• The main ingredients in most of these blends are often the cheapest, most common items: brown sugar, salt, and common spices.

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs, Oven, Instant Pot or Smoked

Competition Barbecue Spare Ribs

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These are the spare ribs you’re going to want again and again; classic flavors in a “dry” rib and fantastic smoked on the grill, from the oven or in the Instant Pot.

• Author: mollie kirby
• Total Time: varies
• Yield: 1 rack of ribs 1x
• Category: Pork Main Dish
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Ribs:

• 1 to 4 racks of ribs, trimmed, membrane removed. See note.

For the rub:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons table salt or 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Notes:

• Depending on how many racks of ribs are being made, you may have extra rub. Store tightly covered in a dark, cool, cupboard.
• If you’re cooking in a 6 quart instant pot, only 1 rack of ribs plus the trimmings will fit at a time. If not cooking trimmings,  2 racks will fit. All other methods, use one to four racks.

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Instructions

Prepare as directed on the site by trimming if necessary and removing the membrane. Sprinkle with three or four tablespoons of the rub if using the Instant Pot, a little more if oven roasting or smoking. Gently pat on to ribs if needed; do not actually rub. If time allows, wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

With all methods, Ribs are done when they can be bent and are close to breaking, with a definite crack to the meat. They should be just holding together, not quite falling off the bone.

To smoke:

Set up grill for indirect heat (See PDF) with desired wood chips. Place ribs, bone side down over drip pan filled with two to three cups water. Cover and cook at 225 degrees F. for four to six hours, until done. Replace wood chips and water as needed.

To oven roast:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place ribs on a rack over a large foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and add a cup and a half of water to the pan. Roast until done, adding more water as needed. Cover the ribs with foil after one hour of cooking. Total time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the pan with the ribs from the oven. Drain the liquid (save if desired for soup or barbecue sauce) and place ribs back on the pan. Turn on broiler and broil ribs, about six inches away from the element, or place on grill, until the rub becomes bubbly and caramelized.

To cook in Instant Pot:

Add one cup water to the bottom of the Instant Pot and rack if there is room. Curl ribs and place in Instant Pot vertically, trimmings in the center (optional). Seal and cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. Allow to go to the keep warm function and after 20 minutes, release the remaining pressure. Place ribs on a foil-lined pan. Sprinkle with more rub, a little or a lot, depending on your preference. Drain the liquid (save if desired for soup or barbecue sauce). Turn on broiler and broil ribs, about six inches away from the element, or place on grill, until the rub becomes bubbly and caramelized.

To cook in a slow cooker:

Add one cup water to the bottom of the slow cooker. Curl one to two racks of ribs and place vertically, trimmings in the center (optional). Cook 4 to 6 hours on high, 6 to 8 hours on low.  Place ribs on a foil-lined pan. Sprinkle with more rub, a little or a lot, depending on your preference. Drain the liquid (save if desired for soup or barbecue sauce). Turn on broiler and broil ribs, about six inches away from the element, or place on grill, until the rub becomes bubbly and caramelized.

Notes

There will be extra rub. Allow extra time to let the ribs sit in the rub. See PDF on setting up grill if you’re planning to rig your grill for smoking.

I’m sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday #227 cohosted this week by Lizet @ Chipa by the dozen and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.

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