Today we’re cooking baby back ribs the way they’ve been doing it at Rendezvous BBQ in Memphis since 1948. Hot and fast over raised direct charcoal, no smoker required, and done in 90 minutes. If you’ve only ever done low and slow ribs, this is going to change how you think about cooking them.
This is Memphis style, which means dry, not sauced. The rub and the mop do all the work. The rub builds a sweet and savory crust, and the mop sauce dripping down onto the hot coals creates a flavored steam that keeps the ribs moist throughout the cook. No wrapping, no spritzing, no six-hour babysitting session.
The key to this technique is keeping the ribs high enough above the coals so they don’t burn. That’s a challenge on most standard grills, which is part of why this style isn’t as widely known as it deserves to be. If your grill can handle it, this is one of the most rewarding ways to cook ribs you’ll find anywhere.
That’s a challenge for most grills on the market today just given their design, and may be why the technique isn’t as popular as the low and slow technique. I’m going to be using the Shokunin Kamado, which uses an adjustable fire grate system, allowing me to cook the ribs high above the coals. This style of cooking can also be done on a drum style smoker if you have one, or even a Weber Smokey Mountain.
If you’re looking for other ways to cook baby back ribs, I’ve got you covered. These apple cinnamon brined baby back ribs are a low and slow crowd favorite, and my BBQ ribs on a gas grill is the go-to if you’re working with a gas setup. But if you want to cook ribs the Memphis way, keep reading.
When Cooking Ribs, Do You Boil the Ribs First or Not?
NO! Absolutely not! What’s funny is this is actually how I was served ribs as a kid. Boiled till all the flavor was cooked out of them, then slathered in barbecue sauce and burnt on the grill. 10/10 DO NOT recommend this technique.
How To Make Ribs Without BBQ Sauce
If you’re not a fan of BBQ sauce, or you are watching your sugar intake, the recipe I’m sharing here uses no BBQ sauce. The key is to make an amazing rub for the ribs that complements the pork. I’ll share mine below; I love it, and it’s been given high praise by those who have tried it. It’s both sweet and savory, and with the mop sauce (not sticky sweet BBQ sauce) these pork ribs are delicious.
How To Cook Ribs on the Grill
Generally speaking, when cooking BBQ ribs on a grill or smoker, you’ll take advantage of indirect heat and cook the ribs for several hours at low cooking temperatures. Cooking times depend on temperature, of course, but generally speaking you’re looking at about four or five hours.
The technique I’m sharing here reduces cooking time to about 90 minutes and uses direct heat, as opposed to indirect.
Tips For Cooking Baby Back Ribs
The Lid: These ribs will be turned every 15 minutes. This means opening the grill lid often and introducing a rush of oxygen to the coals. We’re cooking at 400° F and the oxygen will cause temperature spikes, so work as quickly as possible when flipping to reduce the amount of time the grill lid is open.
The Timing: Flip every 15 minutes, it’s important. I find it easiest to use a large timer for grilling and cooking so I can see it at a quick glance. Using my phone as a timer is just a hassle. Either I forget to set it, my hands are dirty and I can’t get it out of my pocket, or I can’t get the phone to unlock while doing other things, so consider grabbing one of these inexpensive grill timers.
The Mop: It’s not just for flavor on the ribs. It certainly adds a huge punch of flavor, but the mop sauce dripping down on the hot coals creates a ton of flavored steam for hot and fast cooking. That steam helps cook the ribs and keeps them moist, so be generous when mopping the ribs. For a more traditional East Carolina flavor profile, swap out the mop sauce in this recipe for my East Carolina Mop Sauce. It’s slightly different but pairs incredibly well with this cooking technique.
The Temperature: Stay as close to 400° F as possible; that can be a challenge when opening the lid so often. Much past that and you’ll risk burning your ribs. If you notice the temperatures rising, just close down your grills exhaust vents to restrict airflow. As always, I highly recommend using a reliable leave-in thermometer to monitor grill temperatures.
Tap Images Below For More Great BBQ
How To Cook Baby Back Ribs: Memphis Style
Serves: 4-6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
2 racks of baby back ribs
For the Dry Rub:
½ cup paprika
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp fine ground black pepper
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp celery seed
For the Mop:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup dry rub
How To Cook Baby Back Ribs
Step 1: Light your grill and set up for direct heat cooking. Using a reliable leave-in thermometer, establish grill temperature at 400° F.
Step 2: While the grill is preheating, trim ribs by taking off any stray hanging pieces of meat and cleaning up the edges as needed. Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs by grabbing a corner of it with a paper towel for grip and peeling it off.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dry rub. Reserve ¼ cup of the rub and transfer the remaining rub into a shaker bottle.
Step 4: Season the ribs, starting with the bone side of the ribs first, then flip them over and season the meat side of the ribs. Set the ribs aside while you make the mop sauce.
Step 5: Bring wet ingredients of the mop sauce to a low boil over medium heat, then whisk in the reserved rub. Reserve one cup of mop sauce and set aside. Keep the remaining mop sauce over very low heat to keep warm while cooking the ribs.
Step 6: With grill temperature stabilized at 400° F, place ribs over direct heat, bone side down. Close the lid and set a reliable timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, open the lid and mop the ribs with warm mop sauce. Flip ribs, close the lid, and start the timer for another 15 minutes. Repeat this process for 90 minutes.
Step 7: Remove ribs from the grill and plate them meat side up. Mop the ribs one last time and give them a light sprinkle of rub. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with reserved mop sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 racks of ribs baby backs
For the Dry Rub
- ½ cup paprika
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp fine ground black pepper
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp celery seed
For the Mop:
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup dry rub
Instructions
- Light your grill and set up for direct heat cooking. Using a reliable leave-in thermometer, establish grill temperature at 400° F.
- While the grill is preheating, trim ribs by taking off any stray hanging pieces of meat and cleaning up the edges as needed. Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs by grabbing a corner of it with a paper towel for grip and peeling it off.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dry rub. Reserve ¼ cup of the rub and transfer the remaining rub into a shaker bottle.
- Season the ribs, starting with the bone side of the ribs first, then flip them over and season the meat side of the ribs. Set the ribs aside while you make the mop sauce.
- Bring wet ingredients of the mop sauce to a low boil over medium heat, then whisk in the reserved rub. Reserve one cup of mop sauce and set aside. Keep the remaining mop sauce over very low heat to keep warm while cooking the ribs.
- With grill temperature stabilized at 400° F, place ribs over direct heat, bone side down. Close the lid and set a reliable timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, open the lid and mop the ribs with warm mop sauce. Flip ribs, close the lid, and start the timer for another 15 minutes. Repeat this process for 90 minutes.
- Remove ribs from the grill and plate them meat side up. Mop the ribs one last time and give them a light sprinkle of rub. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with reserved mop sauce.