“Down South, where the Lawhorn family is from – we take great pride in our natural BBQ skills.”
INGREDIENTS
1-rack (3-4lb) Fresh pork ribs, chine bone removed or “St. Louis” cut. (Each rack will feed 2 to 3 people, depending on how hungry you are!)
¼ Cup Lawhorn’s Signature Seasoning
YOUR favorite BBQ sauce for dipping
DIRECTIONS
Heat your smoker or grill to 225 degrees. If using wood, make sure the fire burns down enough to keep hot spots from charring the meat. Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs, (I use an oyster knife to grip it.)
Season the ribs on both sides like a dry rub. Coat well, but don’t go overboard. If you have a rib rack to stand them upright, use it. If not, place the racks flat with the bones curved down first. Put a shallow pan of water in the grill to keep moisture in or occasionally spray the ribs with a water bottle to keep them moist. Cook for 1 ½ hours then flip over and do the same. Check for doneness by pinching in between the bone. If the meat separates easily between your fingers, they should be plenty tender to eat. You can always cut a “tester” off and check them that way too. Use your own judgment on tenderness.
I prefer to serve my ribs dry, without sauce… but if you prefer saucing your ribs, sauce them about 15 minutes before pulling them off the grill so the sauce will caramelize. You can also wrap the racks in foil 1 hour before pulling them off the grill to help “steam” and tenderize the ribs.
Variations: Many people par-boil or bake their ribs before smoking them to tenderize and speed up the overall cooking times, I choose not to. However, if you want to try it, this is how: Peel the ribs and place them in a braising pan 4” deep or deeper. Fill the pan with enough water to barely cover the ribs. Mix in 1 cup of Lawhorn’s into the water until dissolved and cover the pan with heavy foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the ribs and follow the smoking steps as usual. This will cut the cooking time down to about 1 hour on the grill. Let the pork stock reduce by half and freeze it until you need a great pork gravy. Cut into single bones and serve with your favorite warm BBQ sauce.
