This cross section shows the different cuts of ribs. For complete descriptions, click here.
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." Mae West
You have come to the best place in the world for ribs recipes, for barbecue cooking tips and techniques, and the world's best buyer's guide to smokers and grilling accessories.
Whether you prefer pork baby back ribs or spare ribs or St. Louis cut, whether you prefer sticky Kansas City style red sauces, savory South Carolina mustard sauces, pungent Lexington vinegar sauces, or just plain Memphis style dry rub, whether you spell it BBQ, barbecue, barbeque, or Bar-B-Que, or even if you like your ribs Chinese style, this site has all you need to know. The emphasis is not on step-by-step recipes (although there are plenty), but on concepts and techniques.
Everyone loves ribs because they are primal, sensual eating. No forks, no linen, just meat on a stick, sauce on your face. "Don’t play with your food" doesn't apply when you're gnawing on ribs. Nothing is more fun to eat, and when they are cooked properly, there is damned little that tastes better. Their blend of flavors is a narcotic elixir that can addict you on first bite. You become focused on eating, obsessed with tugging and scraping the bones clean, moaning and shaking your head all the while.
No doubt the first ribs were shared by cavemen soon after the first forest fire. Since then, cooking with fire has always meant a gathering the clan outdoors, and there is no more intimate gathering than hanging around the fire with the sweet smell of smoke and meat in the air, with a beer in hand. To this day, nothing says "party" like ribs. The scent can make your nose smile and your mouth cry. Barbecue is pure porknography.
Ribs are easy to cook once you know how, yet they are the holy grail of backyard chefs from coast to coast. This website is for all the trash-talkers around the world who aspire to make the best ribs on the block, and then brag about them. It's not hard. Get plenty of napkins, strap on a bib (or better still, an apron), and dig in! And if you don't get messy, you're not doing it right!
Below are some of the best parts of this website.
To see everything, click here to see a complete sitemap. But first things first. If you boil your ribs. STOP doing that!
Read this article first on Ribology: The Science of Amazing Ribs.
Meathead's Hotstuff Awards
For the coolest in tools and toys, check Meathead's Hotstuff Awards. I don't sell anything. I just tell you what works and what doesn't.
An example: The Smokenator. For less than $50 you can easily convert a standard Weber Kettle into a smoker capable of making restaurant quality smoked ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, or salmon. If you have a Weber, you need a Smokenator.
Before you buy, check out the reviews in my Buying Guide. There is nothing in the world like this section. Just about every backyard smoker available is listed (except the shopping cart grill), and many of them have links to discount suppliers. There's a great page devoted to the best tools and toys you need, and the book reviews cover the best references available. Just click here.
Well my wife just about jumped through her [rear end]. The ribs were fantastic!
Ted DuBose, E. Perth, Australia
The Magic Dust and the pulled pork are excellent! I never would have imagined that I would like anything better than a slab of smoked ribs, but that pulled pork, oh my gosh! I have taken it to a couple of parties and it is always a HIT!
Aswad Johnson
I took my leftovers to work and was mobbed when people smelled the aroma from the microwave.
Dale Ray, Wichita,KS
I have always loved cooking ribs but with our new gas grill they were never as good as charcoal. Well that all changed last night when I made the greatest ribs I have ever tasted. My wife wanted to know if I bought them somewhere and then claimed I cooked them myself.
Allen Nicley, Mont Alto, PA
We love your beans. My recipe has our guests tooting for a few days; I bet that yours will last a week!!!!
Peggy Bohl, Sacramento, CA
I have worked as a professional cook in high end French restaurants for several years, but I had little true BBQ experience, so when I hit the internet looking for some info, I was really pleased to find an in depth and expansive site that had all the tips I was looking for. I am also pleased to tell you that I recently took first place in my first rib (or any BBQ) competition, using a slight variation on your Magic Dust and a straight use of your Pig Candy recipe on a rack of baby backs!
Aaron Ettlin, Portland, OR
I had two ribs and my boyfriend ate the other 3 1/2 pounds. He couldn't stop to talk. He had to bring a box of tissues to the table because these ribs are so good, they make him weep. And that's the truth. Of course, I make sure he has plenty of napkins, too. He tells me that my ribs have deepened his love for me. Well, fine, but I know that just means he wants more ribs:)
Nancy J. Mostad, Minnesota
I am in the process of opening a cafe and thought your simple sweet sour slaw is an amazing winner. Tested it tonight. All people could say was "More please!!!"
James Murray, Toronto, Canada
All I have to say is OH MY GOD!!! They are hands down the best ribs I have ever tasted. Everyone begged me for the recipe.
Don't do it the way Weber tells you to do it. Click here to see how to do it right.
Best gas grill setup
The secret is in a pan of water between the meat and the heat.
Food, drink, cooking, barbecue, and rib links
There are so many great resources on the internet: Associations, message boards, podcasts, blogs, and more. Just click here.
Barbecue newsletter
"Smoke Signals" is the irregular email newsletter I send out with news of new recipes and articles, current events, new products, and more. Just enter your email to subscribe. Click here for my privacy promise.
Stuck indoors? Try these:
Smoky sauna ribs. This technique makes verrrrry tender, juicy, ribs, indoors all year round.
Chinatown Char Siu Ribs. Everybody loves those Chinese restaurant ribs. How do they do it? The secret is not the sauce, it's the marinade. You can do them at home on the grill or in the oven.
Hoisinful Nine Dragon Ribs (shown at right). These may be the best Chinese ribs you ever tasted. And you can cook them indoors.
Chinese Five Spice Ribles. Fried and crispy, flavored with five spice powder, these ribs are the perfect finger food for parties.
All kinds of barbecue recipes
Occasionally we hanker for something other than ribs. Check out my recipes for Perfect Pulled Pork and Texas Brisket. Here's what one guru says: "Great article on brisket. That’s a better explanation than I’ve seen in any of the cookbooks, and I’ve read a lot of them. It does a great job of making one of the most complex and difficult cuts of meat simple and approachable. My only concern is that if everyone learns how to make brisket, what’s a poor schmuck like me going to do to make a buck?!?!" Barry Sorkin, Smoque Restaurant, Chicago IL
You can kick most barbecue restaurants in the ribs
The best news is that you can make better ribs at home than any restaurant, even the hallowed temples of barbecue such as Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Rendezvous in Memphis, and Kreuz Market in Lockhart Texas.
Most of these restaurants make hundreds of slabs, cooking them for 4-6 hours overnight or in the morning, and by the time you order them, they have been sitting in the holding oven for hours and are overcooked. Yes, the texture and flavor are fabulous, but you can do better at home simply by getting the timing down and delivering perfectly cooked ribs to your dining table better than any restaurant in the world!
The one requirement of all my recipes: When you're done, you must lick your fingers, leave a plate of bare bones, and exclaim "Amazing Ribs!"
Unless otherwise noted, all text, photos, and recipes are Copyright (c) by Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn. You need my written permission to publish or distribute anything on this website. But I'm easy. To contact me, click here.
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If you have a Weber grill, you need the amazing Smokenator. It really works! List is $55, but it's less at Amazon.com.
No doubt the first ribs were shared by cavemen soon after the first forest fire. Since then, cooking with fire has always meant a gathering the clan outdoors, and there is no more intimate gathering than hanging around the fire with the sweet smell of smoke and meat in the air, with a beer in hand. To this day, nothing says "party" like ribs. The scent can make your nose smile and your mouth cry. Barbecue is pure porknography.
Barbecue recipes
Food, drink, cooking, barbecue, and rib links
Stuck indoors? Try these:
Occasionally we hanker for something other than ribs. Check out my recipes for 
The best news is that you can make better ribs at home than any restaurant, even the hallowed temples of barbecue such as Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Rendezvous in Memphis, and Kreuz Market in Lockhart Texas.
