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July 4th Is National BBQ Ribs Day

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The fourth of July is the birthday of America, the day our Founding Fathers declared independence from Britain. It’s the day that American freedom was born, and every year, we celebrate that hard-earned freedom with fireworks, concerts, carnivals, family reunions, and not least of all, barbecue. On this day, millions of Americans fire up their grills, gather round, and cook all manner of hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, corn on the cob, and best of all, ribs.

Yes, today is not only Independence Day. It’s National Barbecued Ribs Day! And we’ve got everything you need to celebrate in style. Our award-winning ribs recipe is only the tip of the rib bone: we’ve also got the inside line on how to tell when your ribs are properly cooked, a guide to our favorite rib racks, and step-by-step techniques like how to remove that pesky membrane from your rack of ribs–and an explanation of why you definitely want to remove it.

Happy Ribs Day, America! 

Hungry for more ribs recipes, tips, and techniques? Click here to download our ebook “Amazing Ribs Made Easy” $3.99 on Amazon (free Kindle app runs on all computers and devices). Or, get this book and others FREE as a member of the AmazingRibs.com Pitmaster Club. Click here to join.

Pork Ribs Recipes

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Our ribs recipes show you how to combine the best techniques known to make the kind of ribs that will have your families and friends worshipping you. In Memphis, traditionalists swear that all you need is a dry rub. Is there any food more fun? More delicious?
Sauced rack of ribs on a tray

The Best Smoked BBQ Ribs You’ve Ever Tasted: Last Meal Ribs Recipe

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Mastering smoked ribs -- whether they are St. Louis style ribs, spare ribs, or baby back ribs -- with our comprehensive tutorial and recipe will make you a backyard all star.
amazing ribs defined hero image

Amazing Ribs Defined: Kissed By Smoke, Hugged By Sauce, Licked By Fire

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

What are amazing ribs? When I judge barbecue, here's what I look for: Appearance, scent, pork flavor, seasonings, smoke, sauce, texture, and balance.
Rib sandwich on a plate

Rib Sandwich Recipe: Kicks McRib In The Ribs

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Why wait for the McRib to return when you've got an amazing rib sandwich recipe? Learn more about the fabled McRib sandwich while creating one that takes it over the top. Ribs are smoked to perfection before the meat joins homemade pickles, caramelized onions, and custom BBQ sauce on a buttery brioche bun.
Pork ribs being judged

Competition Ribs Recipe and Award Winning Tricks

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Perfect your competition ribs with these simple tips and a competition rib recipe. Trimmed ribs are seasoned with a flavorful BBQ dry rub before being smoked for several hours. Wrapping the ribs with butter and other ingredients ensure that they are moist, tender, and packed full of flavor for the competition judges.

Pork Cuts Explained

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

How do you tell the difference between rib cuts? Learn all the names and characteristics of the different rib cuts and how to cook them.

How to Remove the Membrane from Ribs: Skin & Trim ‘Em

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Removing the paper-thin membrane from the bone side of ribs prior to smoking ensures that the ribs come out as tender as possible without guests having to gnaw through the membrane's tough texture. This how-to guide features step by step photos for trimming a slab of ribs and removing the membrane.
rib cooking temperature timeline

Are My Ribs Ready Yet?

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

There are several techniques to tell when your ribs are ready: bend, twist, peek-a-boo, taste, toothpick, popup, and thermometer test. Since ribs come in so many different weights and thicknesses, knowing when they are done is an inexact science but here are some guidelines and techniques that will help make it easier.
Sugar being melted on top of ribs with a torch

Candied BBQ Ribs Are Just Too Good To Pass Up

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Crunchy bruleed sugar adds an unexpected twist to traditional low and slow smoked spare ribs in this recipe for sweet and savory candied BBQ ribs. The ribs are smoked low and slow until mouthwateringly moist and tender before sprinkling the ribs with sugar then torch them until the sugar melts and browns for a crust.
chopped smoked pork rib tips

Smoked Pork Rib Tips Are The Best Treats, No Tricks

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

This simple smoked rib tips recipe makes the perfect snack, appetizer, or main course. The rib tip (a.k.a. brisket, costal cartilage, or break) is the triangular, cartilage-dotted slab of meat attached to the lower end of the sparerib. Seasoned with BBQ rub then slow smoked on the grill, these bites are a surefire hit.

Maximize Rib Cooking Space With the Rib Ring

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Maximize the grilling space with the Rib Rings from BBQ Guru. This patent-pending design holds three racks of ribs upright in a circular pattern in the outermost ring, two racks in the middle, plus one rack or a whole chicken in the center ring.

Weber’s Inexpensive Rib Rack Helps You Get More Ribs On

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Expand the number of racks of ribs you can cook at one time with this handy tool. Thanks to the Weber Original Rib Rack For Grilling, you can fit five slabs of ribs on a small grill, holding them upright with enough airspace between them to allow airflow and smoke penetration.

The Rib-O-Lator, A Rib Rotisserie Insert For Grills

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Adding the Rib-o-lator to the rotisserie on your grill allows you to cook multiple racks of ribs perfectly. There is a rod that connects to your rotisserie motor. Turn on your motor and round and round they go like a food Ferris wheel. That said, it can only handle narrow slabs that can be confined within the shelves.

The Ribalyzer, Cooking Ribs In A Hurry

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

This is a clever way to cook ribs in two hours on a gas grill, but if you have a few hours, you can cook them better without the Ribalyzer. Essentially the Ribalyzer is a device for smoking then steaming, resulting in very soft meat that's not quite as rich in flavor as if they had been dry roasted and zero bark.

Candied BBQ Ribs Are Just Too Good To Pass Up

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Crunchy bruleed sugar adds an unexpected twist to traditional low and slow smoked spare ribs in this recipe for sweet and savory candied BBQ ribs. The ribs are smoked low and slow until mouthwateringly moist and tender before sprinkling the ribs with sugar then torch them until the sugar melts and browns for a crust.

Smoked Pork Rib Tips Are The Best Treats, No Tricks

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

This simple smoked rib tips recipe makes the perfect snack, appetizer, or main course. The rib tip (a.k.a. brisket, costal cartilage, or break) is the triangular, cartilage-dotted slab of meat attached to the lower end of the sparerib. Seasoned with BBQ rub then slow smoked on the grill, these bites are a surefire hit.

Competition Ribs Recipe and Award Winning Tricks

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Perfect your competition ribs with these simple tips and a competition rib recipe. Trimmed ribs are seasoned with a flavorful BBQ dry rub before being smoked for several hours. Wrapping the ribs with butter and other ingredients ensure that they are moist, tender, and packed full of flavor for the competition judges.

Pork Cuts Explained

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

How do you tell the difference between rib cuts? Learn all the names and characteristics of the different rib cuts and how to cook them.

Amazing Ribs Defined: Kissed By Smoke, Hugged By Sauce, Licked By Fire

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

What are amazing ribs? When I judge barbecue, here's what I look for: Appearance, scent, pork flavor, seasonings, smoke, sauce, texture, and balance.

How to Remove the Membrane from Ribs: Skin & Trim ‘Em

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Removing the paper-thin membrane from the bone side of ribs prior to smoking ensures that the ribs come out as tender as possible without guests having to gnaw through the membrane's tough texture. This how-to guide features step by step photos for trimming a slab of ribs and removing the membrane.

Need BBQ Ribs Fast? Check Out This Quick & Easy Rendezvous Ribs Recipe

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is a Memphis BBQ staple and now you can create their signature dry rubbed ribs at home. In this quick and easy recipe, baby back ribs are cooked hot and fast over charcoal, basted constantly with a vinegary mop sauce, and then covered in their seasoning. In true Memphis fashion, there is no sauce on these dry rub ribs.

Rib Sandwich Recipe: Kicks McRib In The Ribs

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Why wait for the McRib to return when you've got an amazing rib sandwich recipe? Learn more about the fabled McRib sandwich while creating one that takes it over the top. Ribs are smoked to perfection before the meat joins homemade pickles, caramelized onions, and custom BBQ sauce on a buttery brioche bun.

Are My Ribs Ready Yet?

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

There are several techniques to tell when your ribs are ready: bend, twist, peek-a-boo, taste, toothpick, popup, and thermometer test. Since ribs come in so many different weights and thicknesses, knowing when they are done is an inexact science but here are some guidelines and techniques that will help make it easier.

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Published On: 6/27/2019 Last Modified: 2/17/2023

 

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