My dad is an excellent cook, over the years he’s developed a menu of select specialties that he’s known for (this grilled ribs recipe, jumbalaya, gumbo, many other Cajun greats). South Louisiana born and bred, most of his recipes are strongly influenced by his southern roots, these ribs being no exception. This grilled ribs recipe is so good, that when we go out for BBQ I am usually underwhelmed because nothing can quite stand up to dad’s… this says a lot because we live in Nashville which is famous for BBQ.
Ribs are one of my favorite things to eat, but always seemed too intimidating for me to make at home. Recently though, I had my dad walk me through the steps and discovered they aren’t so hard to make after all, just require some time and careful attention.
Before adding his cajun spin, dad originally got the base of this recipe from a dear friend and fellow southerner, who competes (and wins!) in proffesional BBQ cook-offs. So basically, y’all, this grilled ribs recipe is legit.
As with all of my recipes, I’ve included a Tips & Tricks section. For this one in particular though, you’ll really want to check them out, to ensure your ribs are as tastefully tacky and blissfully fall-off-the-bone as can be.
This recipe may seem a little involved, but greatness is worth working for, right?
Enjoy!
Recipe
- Makes: 1 full rack of ribs
- Time: about 2.5 hours from start to finish
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs
- 1 bottle of BBQ sauce (dad recommends KC Masterpiece original)
- 2 Tbsp all-seasoning (dad only uses Tony Chachere’s, a cajun staple)
- 6 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions
- Unwrap your ribs and lay them aside. Clean your grill, then heat grill on medium until nice and hot.
- Grill ribs without any seasoning (or “naked,” as dad says) directly on grill flipping every couple of minutes. Grill until bone tips become slightly charred and the meat turns a nice mahogany color (about 25-30 minutes, see pic above). *** Be sure to stay close to the grill during this step, the ribs can easily char and burn.
- Once the ribs are done grilling, set them aside and let cool for a few minutes.
- While the ribs are cooling, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Now you’re going to make your rub. Mix all-seasoning (Tony Chachere’s is the best!) with brown sugar.
- Rub in the seasoning mixture over all sides of ribs. Then wrap the ribs very tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 1 hour. ***use a baking sheet or pan that is able to catch the drippings that will cook out (we will use the drippings a little later).
- After 1 hour, take ribs out of the oven and turn down heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove foil, pour drippings into a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Leave ribs unwrapped and place back in the oven again for 10-15 minutes to dry out a little. While drying out, add BBQ sauce to the drippings and whisk to combine (use about twice the amount of BBQ sauce as drippings).
- Remove ribs from oven, and using a basting brush paint BBQ sauce mixture generously over all sides of the ribs. Then place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Repeat step 9 two more times. This part is essential, each layer of sauce becoming tacky builds literal layers of BBQ utopia. Please for the sake of food lovers everywhere, repeat step 9 two more times.
- Let ribs cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Keep a close eye on the ribs while they are grilling. My first attempt at these ribs, I walked inside while they were on the grill for what I thought was just a minute, only to walk back outside to my entire rack of ribs engulfed in flames. So sad.
- Make sure your grill is clean before cooking. If your grill is dirty the ribs are more likely to catch on fire.
- While most all-seasonings can work, Tony Chachere’s is the best.
- If you don’t have a basting brush you need to get one, I use it all the time!
Pair these ribs with grilled veggies and a refreshing mojito… wow what a perfect summer meal. Bon appétit!
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