Char Glazed Ribs Recipe
Char Glazed Ribs are popular on the Rib Fest circuit where thousands of racks of ribs are served to the public. The ribs are first smoked low and slow until they’re completely cooked and then they’re finished over direct charcoal heat. This process caramelizes the sauce and seasonings on the outside and gives the ribs a grilled flavor. If you’re pressed for time and still want to serve ribs, this is a great way to do it. You can cook the ribs ahead of time, hold them in the refrigerator or cooler, and then reheat them on the charcoal grill just before serving.
For this recipe start with a couple racks of St. Louis cut Spare Ribs. Remove the membrane and season the ribs with your favorite seasonings. I use a light coat of my Killer Hogs AP rub followed by a dose of Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub.
Any smoker can be used for cooking ribs; I fired up my drum smoker and added a chunk of Cherry wood for smoke flavor.
The ribs need about 2 hours in the smoke, and to keep the outside from getting dry spray them with a little apple juice as needed. Once they develop a mahogany color on the outside it’s time to wrap.
Place each slab on a sheet of Peach Butcher Paper (you could use foil) and wrap them up tight. Get them back on the pit and continue to cook until the fat renders and the meat pulls back slightly from the bones. This process takes about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
At this point the ribs need to rest to stop the cooking process. Vent the butcher paper to let out the heat and just let them hang out loosely covered for about an hour. You can refrigerate them here if you want for serving the following day.
Now it’s time to fire up a charcoal grill and I used my PK Grill 360 with a set of GrillGrates. Get a good medium hot fire going and I like to use a set of grill grates for this process to keep the flavor ups to a minimum.
Brush the bone side of each rack with your favorite bbq sauce (I use a 50:50 combo of Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce mixed with my Killer Hogs Vinegar sauce).
Place the ribs bone down on the grill grates and brush the meat side with sauce as well. Grill the ribs on both sides about 3-4 minutes each. At this point they’re ready to serve.
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Char Glazed Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 slabs St. Louis Spare Ribs
- ¼ cup Killer Hogs AP Rub
- ¼ cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub
- 12oz Apple Juice
- ½ cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce
Instructions
- Prepare UDS Drum smoker or other smoker for indirect cooking at 250⁰ add 1-2 chunks of cherry wood to hot coals for smoke flavor.
- Remove the membrane from the bone side of each slab of ribs and trim excess fat. Season each slab on both sides with AP rub followed by The BBQ Rub. (substitute your favorite seasonings if desired)
- Place each slab on the smoker and cook for 2 hours spritzing with Apple Juice every 30 minutes.
- Wrap each slab in Peach Butcher paper (un-waxed) and place back on the pit for 1 ½ hours or until tender.
- Rest the ribs for at least 1 hour or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prepare charcoal grill for direct grilling over medium high heat.
- Combine both sauces and brush over the back side of each slab. Place each directly on the cooking grate bone side down and brush sauce over the top (meat) side.
- Grill the ribs for 3-4 minutes on each side and serve.
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I didn’t read all the reviews so sorry if you addressed this but what is that orange and black thing you spritzed the ribs with?
It’s called a BOS Sprayer https://h2qshop.com/collections/barbecue-equipment/products/b-o-s-the-big-orange-sprayer
Great recipe. I signed up to bring some pineapple-BBQ ribs to a party this coming weekend and I think I’ll use this method to get a little caramelization in the sauce. Planning on mixing your BBQ sauce with some pineapple preserves and maybe adding some fresh crushed pineapple and putting some grilled rings on top for serving.
Enjoy watching your videos
I like what you teach
am inlove in ur art
Great recipes Malcom!
Thanks
Hey Malcom, I love your advice and videos, you really kill it. In one video you chose to use foil to crutch your ribs but in another, you chose butcher paper. What would determine which you use and do you prefer one over the other? Thanks for your time.
RW
Just depends on how I want to cook and what I want my finished product to be like… You can turn out great que both ways.
This guy knows his stuff. I am going to order some of that Killer Hogs Seasoning. I hear its pretty good.
I’m always looking for the “holy grail” of ribs and I’ve fixed a lot of good slabs following Malcom’s recipes. But this last weekend for ten guest I tried the Char Grilled rib recipe and I hit the jackpot! My guests went crazy! Wow! Best ever! Thanks Malcom. I’ve found my go to recipe!
Hi Malcom, I have really enjoyed your videos. I assume if you were re-heating the ribs from cold there would have to be a slightly different process. do you heat them up over indirect heat until they are warm and then to the char process. Do you take them up to 200 again or just to 160 or so?
I would let them come up to room temp before I put them on the grill to char-glaze. But aside from that – the process would be similar. They are already done completely so you don’t have to worry about the internals. Just get them reheated and get some of that good char flavor on the outside.
Malcolm you’re a great BBQ’r and you really educate on the home cook, havin a good time in the backyard level. You’ve helped develop my skills and get some folks into bbq by referring them to your site and products. I always tell people even if they make a mistake and overdo it, that’s why jesus made bbq sauce, it’s just about having a good time, thanks Malcolm.
Malcolm,
i really enjoy your videos. What would you do with the Trimmings from these ribs? Can you turn the meat you trimmed off these into some sort of Burn End?
just curious what you would recommend…
Thanks
We like Rib Tips – https://howtobbqright.com/2018/08/30/smoked-rib-tip-recipe/
Hey Malcom quick question. When you cut the ribs St Louis style what do you do with the meat that you cut off? I just dont want to waste it if theres a use for it.
We make Rib Tips https://howtobbqright.com/2018/08/30/smoked-rib-tip-recipe/
These turned so great. Thanks Malcom for the great recipe, rub and sauces!
Can I use parchment paper to wrap the ribs as I don’t have any butcher paper?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Love your videos. Where can you buy unwaxed butcher paper. I want to try these because they look so good. I’ve got a Primo so I can do all the steps on it.
Hey Malcolm. What surface temp do you want the grill grates at for charring but not burning?