Barbecued Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
Serves 4
For a potent spice flavor, brine and dry the ribs as directed, then coat them with the spice rub, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight before grilling. You will need 2 cups of wood chips for this recipe.
Brine
1 cup kosher salt or ½ cup table salt
½ cup sugar
2 racks (about 2 pounds each) baby back or loin back ribs
Spice rub
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1¾ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt or ¾ teaspoon table salt
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. To brine ribs: Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water in stockpot or large plastic container. Submerge ribs in brine and refrigerate 1 hour until fully seasoned. Remove ribs from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
2. While ribs are brining, cover 2 cups wood chips with water in medium bowl; soak wood chips for ½ hour, then drain and set aside. Combine spice rub ingredients in small bowl. When ribs are out of brine and dried, rub each side of racks with 1 tablespoon spice rub; refrigerate racks 30 minutes.
3. To barbecue ribs: Ignite one burner on and the other(s) off mimics the indirect heat method on a charcoal grill.. Place wood chips in a small disposable aluminum pan and place over ignited burner. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat grill until chips smoke heavily, about 20 minutes. (If chips ignite, extinguish flames with water from squirt bottle.) Scrape grill grate clean with wire brush; turn off burner(s) without wood chips.
4. Arrange ribs on cool side of grill and cover (grill temperature should register about 275º F on grill thermometer). Cook for 4 hours, until meat easily pulls away from bone, flipping rib racks, switching their position so that rack that was nearest fire is on outside, and turning racks 180º F every 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to cutting board, then cut between bones to separate ribs; serve.
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