Memphis Style Pork Ribs

Traditionally, the folks from Memphis rarely put barbecue sauce on their pork ribs. The flavorful meat rubs they use was enough to produce a great tasting rib without the addition of a sauce. When ordering ribs in Memphis, you'll be asked if you want them "wet" or "dry". Wet means sauced, while dry means just with the meat rub and the sauce served on the side.

Being from Tennessee, that is how I grew up eating ribs. This is my Daddy's rib recipe. He preferred his ribs and pulled pork this way. He said it was so good, there was no need for any sauce. In true Memphis style, Daddy said he liked to eat his pork with nothing on. Although, he would put on pants if guests were coming over.

Ingredients

2 slabs pork back ribs
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup non-iodized salt
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
About a cup of hickory wood chips

Prepare Your Ribs

The first thing to do is to remove the membrane from the inner portion of the ribs. This membrane will inhibit the flavors of the meat rub and the smoke from penetrating the meat. Besides, who wants to eat that thing anyway?

Begin on the small end of the slab and work your fingers or a butter knife under the membrane until you have enough of it to grasp. Then slowly start pulling it off. It's similar to pulling a sticker off of something. The hard part is getting it started.

Apply the Meat Rub

Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended.

Lightly brush the ribs with olive oil. This helps keep the meat moist while at the same time giving something for the rub to adhere to. "Rub" is a misnomer, we really don't rub it, just sprinkle it on liberally and evenly. If I'm using a coarse rub, such as dried herbs, I may pat it a little to help it stick to the meat. Allow the rub to do its magic for about a half an hour.

Reserve some of the rub for later.

Let's Discuss Smoking Chips

Hickory is a good choice of wood for smoking ribs, and is the more commonly used wood in southern style barbecue. Chips that are soaked in water tend to produce more smoke than dry chips, therefore I rarely soak mine since I don't want that much smoke flavor. We want that extra smoke flavor on these ribs, so go ahead and soak a handful of chips for 20 minutes to a half an hour.

Prepare Your Fire

Preheat the grill for indirect cooking over a medium heat. About 300-degrees F. Add the wood chips.

If using a gas grill, wrap the chips in aluminum foil, creating a "packet". Pierce holes on one side with a fork or knife to allow the smoke to escape. Place the packet underneath the cooking grate, right on top of the diverter plate.

Once the chips begin to smoke, it's time to put on the ribs. Place the ribs on the grill and close the lid. Allow the ribs to cook for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the temperature and adjust the vents as needed.