North Carolina House Ribs Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, lemon juice, white vinegar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and mustard. Season with granulated garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, white pepper and cayenne pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
• Preheat an outdoor grill or smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).
• Rub ribs liberally with barbeque seasoning, then place them in the smoker or grill, and cover. Cook for 4 hours, or until very tender. The meat will easily separate from the bone. Baste ribs with mustard sauce liberally during the final 30 minutes. Heat remaining sauce to a boil, and serve on the side.

Steps:

• For the rub:
• Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the racks with oil and rub with the spice mixture. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• In a large pot over low heat, add all the mop ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
• Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 45 minutes before smoking to allow them to come to room temperature. Add the mix of hickory and applewood chips to the smoker according to package instructions. Heat a smoker to 220 degrees F. Put the apple cider in a small heatproof pan in the smoker.
• Put the ribs directly on the smoker rack. Smoke for 6 hours, brushing the ribs with the mop every hour for the first 5 hours. During the last hour, brush the ribs with the North Carolina Barbecue Sauce every 10 minutes. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and serve.
• For the BBQ Sauce:
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator, stored in a tightly sealed container.

Steps:

• Prepare the ribs: Slide a butter knife between the bone and thin membrane on the bone side of the ribs to loosen. Grab the membrane with a paper towel, then pull it off and discard.
• Make the rub: Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the rub for the sauce. Rub the rest all over both racks of ribs. Wrap well in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Soak 2 cups wood chips (such as cherry, apple or pecan) in cool water, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium low (250˚ F) and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side. For a gas grill, turn off half the burners. Cover the indirect side of the grill with foil (or position a drip pan underneath the grates). Drain the wood chips and scatter over the hot coals (for a charcoal grill), or place in a smoker box over direct heat (for a gas grill). Unwrap the ribs and place meat-side up on the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill until the ribs are a rich brick red color, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (For a charcoal grill, adjust the vents and add more coals as needed to maintain the temperature.)
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine the ketchup, shallot, brown sugar, vinegar, 1/2 cup water and the reserved 2 tablespoons rub in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• Remove the ribs from the grill and wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil. Return the ribs to the indirect side of the grill, meat-side down, and continue to grill until the meat has pulled back a bit from the bones, 2 to 2 1/2 more hours. (For a charcoal grill, adjust the vents and add more coals as needed.)
• Carefully unwrap the ribs and return to the indirect side of the grill, meat-side up. Brush generously with about 2/3 cup of the sauce. Cover and grill until the sauce is cooked into the meat, 10 to 20 more minutes. Remove the ribs to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes, then cut into individual ribs. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Steps:

• Prepare your smoker or grill for barbecuing, using the indirect heat setup with a drip pan in place, and preheat to 210 degrees F. Pat the ribs dry, then season with the salt.
• Pour some water in the drip pan and place some presoaked wood chunks or a packet of presoaked wood chips directly on the hot coals. Oil the hot grate and place the ribs in your grill or smoker, meat side up. Cover and smoke for a total of 6 hours. After about 5 hours, begin to baste the ribs with the BBQ Sauce about every 20 minutes. The ribs are done when the meat cracks when picked up (with tongs) and they reach an internal temperature of 170 to 180 degrees F.
• To finish the ribs, throw them on the grill over direct medium heat to let the sauce caramelize. Baste between turns, and you're done.
• This is our core sauce based on the western North Carolina style. It's a good idea to keep extra in the fridge because it goes well with everything from fries to chicken fingers. Whisk all the ingredients together in a nonreactive saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce just coats the back of a wooden spoon--it's not intended to be overly thick.
• Cool and use immediately or store for later use in the fridge, where it will keep for 2 to 3 months.

Steps:

• Cut ribs into serving-size pieces. Place ribs meat side up in a roasting pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender; drain., Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until slightly reduced., Brush sauce over ribs. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes longer or until ribs are glazed, basting occasionally.

Steps:

• Cut ribs into serving-size pieces; sprinkle with pepper. Place in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over ribs. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours. Serve with sauce.

Steps:

• Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. This is important. If you've not done this before, Google the technique.
• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, sugar, crushed red pepper, garlic powder and thyme and mix well.
• Using your fingers, rub the mixture over both sides of the ribs.
• Cure the ribs in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and for more flavor, up to 24 hours.
• To make the barbecue sauce, chop the onion and cook it in the vegetable oil until it is dark golden.
• Transfer the onion to a saucepan and add all the remaining barbecue sauce ingredients.
• Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Pour the sauce through a medium-meshed strainer, scraping the sieve with a metal spoon to force all the pulp through the sieve.
• Refrigerate the sauce.
• Grill the ribs over medium indirect heat, for about 75 minutes or until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the rib bones.
• Baste the ribs with the sauce occasionally, stopping 15 minutes before removing the ribs from the grill.
• To serve, cut the ribs into individual pieces and transfer them to a garnished serving platter or to garnished individual plates and serve at once, along with any extra sauce and the fruit salad and corn on the cob.