Barbecue Ribs

There are a few things in life that taste better than barbecue ribs; we just don’t know what they are. If you happen to find them, please let us know! At Barbecue and Beans, we’ve been searching for quite a while and have determined that nothing can compare to the taste of slow smoked barbecue ribs. We know what you’re thinking, “I’d love to have a platter of ribs right about now!”

Before you run off and get the grill going, lets talk ribs, grills and smokers. Traditionally speaking, in most circles, pork ribs are served over beef ribs, mainly due to these reasons:

1)     Beef ribs take much longer to smoke; the extra time is needed to melt away all of the connective tissues.

2)     There is definitely an art to smoking beef ribs and if you don’t get it right, your ribs will come out tough, under cooked, over cooked or simply burnt

3)     All true barbecue aficionados know that Pork Ribs taste better

Although beef ribs do take longer, the size of the ribs and the amount of meat you’ll get more than makes up for the additional time. When smoked low and slow, barbecue ribs will provide you with a memorable eating experience talked about for a long time.

Barbecue Grill Vs. a Barbecue Smoker

When it comes to barbecuing, the question has been asked countless times, “Which is better, a barbecue grill or a barbecue smoker?” And the answer is, “The smoker wins hands down!” If you want competition tasting barbecue ribs, use a smoker.

Although, you can serve up some good ribs from a barbecue grill, with a smoker, your barbecue ribs will turn out much tender. Plus, that true smoke flavor cannot be duplicated with a barbecue grill: not even if you season your meat with one of the numerous liquid smoke flavors.

In summation, you’d have to jump through too many hoops to get barbecue ribs from a grill to compare to the taste of true slow smoked barbecue ribs. You’d have to use ploys such as indirect grilling, which means, you’ll go through a trial and error process that may or may not work.

The other issue you’ll face using a barbecue grill, is keeping the temperature low enough to slow cook the ribs without burning them. Once again, too many hoops to jump through. If you want savory, melt in your mouth barbecue ribs to die for, do what the top barbecuer’s do; use a barbecue smoker.

What Type of Barbecue Smoker Is Best?

There are numerous smokers on the market and what’s confusing is they all boast of being better than the other. So, how is one to choose? Start by not believing the hype! Like anything else, great marketing can oftentimes overcome an inferior product. Having shared that, we have taken the guess work out of choosing a great barbecue smoker. Just go to our article: “Barbecue Smoker | Top Ten Smokers Under $400.”

You can make tantalizing barbecue ribs and your journey starts with a great smoker. After that, you need to determine what style of ribs you want to specialize in, (i.e., Memphis style, St. Louis style, traditional southern style, North or South Carolina, etc.) Once you figure that out, you’ll put together your seasonings and be on your way. Bon Appetite!