Memphis-Style Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby-back or St. Louis-cut spare ribs
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp celery salt
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dry rub

Method

Mix the dry rub thoroughly — paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic powder, celery salt, chilli powder, black pepper, onion powder, thyme, oregano, mustard powder, celery seed, and cayenne. The brown sugar caramelises on the surface during smoking, building a crust that seals in juices. Reserve a quarter-cup plus two tablespoons for the mop and final coat.

Arrange your charcoal in the smoke-cooking snake method: a single line of briquettes two-thirds around the grill's perimeter. Light eight to ten briquettes in a chimney until they're fully white-ash on top, then place them at one end of the snake. Add your wood chunks directly onto the unlit charcoal — they'll smoke slowly as the lit briquettes gradually ignite the line. Position a water pan on the grate opposite the coal side; this moderates temperature swings and keeps the cooking chamber from drying out. Once your grill stabilises at 120–130°C (the heat-control target for low-and-slow bbq-technique), the snake method will hold that temperature for hours without intervention.

Lay the ribs on the cool side of the grill, meat-side up. Whisk the mop — vinegar, water, and reserved dry rub — into a thin liquid. Every twenty minutes, brush the ribs generously with mop and rotate them if one edge's taking colour faster than the other. The vinegar's acidity cuts through the rendered fat and keeps the surface supple; it doesn't denature protein the way heat does, but it prevents the bark from becoming brittle.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches 93°C and a toothpick slides through the meat without resistance — roughly four to five hours depending on rack size and grill stability. The bend test matters: hold one end of a rack horizontally; it should sag and flex, not snap. A smoke ring (the pink layer just beneath the surface) indicates proper meat-cookery; the meat inside will be white or pale grey.

If you want hard-edged bark, place the ribs over the hot side for two to three minutes per side just before pulling them. Coat with another brush of mop and a light dust of reserved dry rub. Rest for five minutes — this allows the muscle fibres to reabsorb juices — then slice between the bones and serve with sauce on the side.