Spicy Beef Back Ribs
Submitted by rmgleich
Spicy beef back ribs grilled low and slow with indirect heat, then brushed with a tangy ketchup, lemon and hot pepper glaze. Smoky, tender, and built for charcoal grills and backyard cookouts.
YIELD
4 - 6 ServingsPREP
40 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsBeef back ribs are the leaner cousin of short ribs, cut from between the bones of a prime rib roast. They reward patience: cooked too fast over direct flame they turn into shoe leather, but given an hour over indirect coals they pull cleanly off the bone with a peppery, glossy crust.
The sauce is a fast simmer of ketchup, grated onion, lemon juice, hot sauce and crushed chile pods. Keeping it off the meat until the last 10 minutes is intentional: sugary glazes burn fast over coals, so paint it on at the end when the heat is fading.
Grated onion melts into the sauce instead of staying chunky. The lemon juice cuts through the ketchup’s sweetness so the glaze tastes balanced, not candy-like. Crushed chile pods bring slow-building heat that sits behind the smoke rather than punching out front.
Chef Tips
- Set up a true two-zone fire. Coals on each side, drip pan in the middle, ribs over the empty zone. Direct heat under back ribs is a fast track to dry meat.
- Turn the ribs every 15 minutes so the bones don’t scorch where they touch the grate.
- For a deeper smoke flavor, drop a foil packet of soaked hickory or oak chips onto the coals once the ribs go on.
- If your grill runs hot, use the foil packet method built into the directions. It steam-tenderizes the ribs before the finishing sear.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon or apple cider vinegar to the sauce for more depth.
- Swap crushed chile pods for chipotle in adobo to get smoke and heat in one move.
- Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and chopped cilantro for a Tex-Mex spin.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine catsup, water, onion, lemon juice, pepper sauce and pepper pods in small saucepan.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
Cook slowly, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally; keep warm. Prepare grill for indirect cooking.
Place beef back ribs, meat side up, on grid centered over drip pan. Cover cooker.
Grill ribs 45 to 60 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Brush reserved sauce over ribs and continue grilling, covered, 10 minutes.
To prepare grill for indirect cooking, arrange equal amount of briquets on each side of grill.
Place aluminum foil drip pan in center between coals. Coals are ready when ash-covered, approximately 30 minutes. Make sure coals are burning equally on both sides. Uncovered Grilling Directions: Place ribs, meat side down, in center of double-thick rectangle of heavy duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over rib bones. To form packets, bring two opposite sides of aluminum foil together over top of ribs. Fold edges over 3 to 4 times pressing crease in tightly each time. (Allow some air space.) Flatten aluminum foil at both ends; crease to from triangle and fold each end over several times toward packet, pressing tightly to seal. Place packets on grid over low to medium coals. Grill 2 hours or until tender, turning packets over every ½ hour. Remove ribs from packets and place on grid. Continue grilling 10 to 20 minutes, turning once. Brush sauce over ribs; continue cooking 10 minutes. To check temperature, cautiously hold hand about 4 inches above coals. Low to medium coals will force removal of hand in 4 to 5 seconds.
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