Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs — use a butter knife to loosen it, then pull it off completely.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne to make a dry rub. Brush both sides of the ribs with olive oil, then apply the rub generously, pressing it into the meat. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill for indirect cooking at 275–300°F. Place a drip pan with water underneath where the ribs will cook.
- Place ribs bone-side down on the cooler side of the grill (indirect heat). Close the lid and cook for 1.5 hours, maintaining consistent temperature. Spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes.
- Wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil with 2 Tbsp of apple juice. Return to the grill for 30 more minutes.
- Unwrap ribs and brush generously with Kinder's Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. Continue grilling 15–20 minutes, brushing with more sauce every 5 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
- Ribs are done when the meat pulls back from the bones about ¼ inch. Rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Remove the membrane first — Use a butter knife to loosen a corner of the silverskin on the bone side, then grip it with a paper towel and pull it off in one strip. Skip this step and the rub stays on the surface instead of penetrating the meat.
- Don't sauce early — The sugars in Kinder's Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce burn fast at grill temperatures. Hold it until the last 15–20 minutes, then brush every 5 minutes. That's how you get a caramelized glaze instead of a scorched crust.
- Use the bend test — Pick the rack up from the center with tongs. When done, it should flex and nearly crack in half. Internal temp around 195–203°F confirms it. Food-safe minimum is 145°F, but that's still chewy — you want the connective tissue to break down.
- Add wood chips for smoke — Toss soaked hickory, apple, or cherry chips onto the coals or into a smoker box during the first hour. It adds a layer of smoky depth that the dry rub alone can't replicate.
- Maintain your temperature — 275–300°F is the target. Too hot and the outside dries out before the inside has time to render. Use a drip pan with water under the grill grates to help stabilize temperature and keep moisture in the cook environment.
- Classic plate: coleslaw, cornbread, and baked beans. The coleslaw cuts through the richness, cornbread catches the sauce, and baked beans round it out without competing.
- Put an extra bowl of Kinder's Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce on the table for dipping. Serve the rack whole on a wooden board and cut between the bones at the table — the presentation does its own work.
- For a full backyard spread, add grilled corn on the cob and potato salad. These ribs hold up as the centerpiece. Everything else is support.
- Wrap leftover ribs tightly in foil or store in an airtight container. They'll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, keep them wrapped in foil and warm in a 300°F oven for 20–25 minutes. Finish with a fresh brush of Kinder's Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce and 2–3 minutes under the broiler or back on a hot grill. That revives the glaze without drying out the meat.