Servings: 8
Preheat: 225
Prep Time: Overnight brine, then 6 hours on the grill
Source: Birch Island Friends of Norman and Carol
One 7 lb pork shoulder butt feeds ~12 people. The bone-in cut is best.
Spare ribs come from the the belly of the pig – where bacon comes from. Because they’re larger and tougher than baby backs they take longer and are more of a challenge to cook. However, they also have more meat than baby backs and more fat marbling which makes them more flavorful. The fact that they’re a greater test of grillmanship and they deliver more flavor makes them the rib of choice with people on the profession barbecue circuit. St. Louis cut ribs – also known as Kansas City cut ribs – are merely spare ribs with the rib tips cut off. Removal of the tips makes the rib slab more attractive and helps it to cook more evenly.
Place 4-5 coals on each side of grill for indirect cooking. Place a drip pan under the grate between the mounds of coals. Add fresh charcoal every hour or as needed to maintain 225 degrees. Grill slowly, or the rub will burn.
Ingredients:
Brine:
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup kosher salt
4 quarts water
Rub (makes enough for several butts or ribs):
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Paprika
3 TBS Salt
2 TBS Coarse Black Pepper
2 TBS Granulated Garlic (1 TBS if powdered)
2 TBS Granulated Onion (1 TBS if powdered)
2 TBS Chili Powder
2 tsp Chipotle Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Ground Mustard
Sauce:
1 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Lemon Juice
4 TBS Worcestershire
2 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 TBS Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper – (optional)
6 to 8 pound pork shoulder or 3 racks of spare ribs
Directions:
Pork Shoulder: Plan for overnight brining and 1 hour grilling per pound. But always allow more time than you think you’ll need.
Heat 1 quart of water and add molasses and salt, stirring until completely dissolved. Add remaining 3 quarts of water and let cool before submerging meat in large stock pot or brine bag. Add pork and brine 12-24 hours.
Remove meat from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application. Keep meat away from coals, or the sugar in the rub will burn.
If your intention is to serve the pork sliced, you can remove it from the grill when it reaches an internal temperature of 170 to 180 degrees F. If you want to chop or “pull” the pork (tear it into meaty shreds), the internal temperature must be between 190 and 200 degrees F. Anything less, and the collagen and connective tissue will not have broken down sufficiently. Insert the temperature probe of an instant-read meat thermometer in several places to ensure doneness. Shred pork when cool enough to handle, discarding skin, fat, and charred meat. Before serving, heat sauce and mix into pork.
Pork Ribs: Plan for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
Grill ribs for 3 hours bone-side down if you can keep the grill at 225°, or 2 hours at higher temperatures.
Wrap them in foil and grill, bone-side up, for 30 to 60 minutes. You can an extra special touch here by pouring a cup of apple cider or juice into the foil packet.
Unwrap them and grill for 30 more minutes bone-side down.
Finally, add your sauce and move the ribs to the hottest part of the grill and remove when the sugars have caramelized and you have a nice pasty coating with crisp spots – not more than 20 minutes