The biggest problem with grilling ribs on a grill is getting good smoke flavor (see my article on Making Smoke). What we are going to do is turn your charcoal grill into a small smoker. What you will need is the ability to control your grill's temperature so you can hold it around 225 degrees F. You will only be using half the cooking surface of the grill because we have to cook indirectly to cook the ribs low and slow without burning or drying them out.
For this project I am using baby back ribs. You can just as easily use a rack of spareribs, but the cooking time will be a little longer.
The supplies you will need are:
- racks of ribs (I'm working with baby back ribs but you can use spareribs)
- A good Rib Rub
- Fuel for your grill (charcoal)
- 2 Disposable aluminum pans about half the size of your charcoal grill
- Wood chips
- A reliable meat thermometer
- Heavy duty aluminum foil (if you intend to wrap your ribs)
- Barbecue Sauce if you intend to sauce your ribs
- A large knife
