Fire up the grill while you still can by making these fall-off-the-bone ribs, from famed pitmaster, Dr. BBQ. With a delicious rub and a hint of sauce, these ribs will make you into a backyard grill-master in front of all of your guests.
By Annelise McAuliffe
Pitmaster Dr. BBQ, also know as Ray Lampe, has the secrets to grilling. Fire up the grill while you still can by making these fall-off-the-bone ribs. With a delicious rub and a hint of sauce, these ribs will make you into a backyard pitmaster in front of all of your guests. 
Dr. BBQ’s Backyard Championship Ribs
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Fire up the grill while you still can with fall-off-the-bone ribs, from famed pitmaster, Dr. BBQ.
Ingredients
Ribs
- 3 Slabs of St. Louis-Style Ribs or Baby Back Ribs, cut in half, membrane off and washed
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Turbinado sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) Big Time Barbecue rub (recipe follows)
- 1 cup (240 ml) honey
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) apple juice
- 2 cups (480 ml) your favorite BBQ sauce
Big Time BBQ Rub
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) granulated brown sugar
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp granulated onion
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
Ribs
- About 30 minutes before they go in to the cooker mix the rub and the Turbinado sugar together and rub it on the ribs. Use about 2/3 on the meaty side and 1/3 on the boney side.
- Much of his will depend on your equipment, but you should cook them slow with a little bit of hickory and cherry wood until they are nicely caramelized and looking great. About 325 degrees with an indirect setup would be a good target temperature. One to one and a half hours is a good time guideline for this step. Use a rib rack if you need it for space. Remove the ribs to a platter or sheet pan and brush them all on both sides with honey.
- The next step is a tenderizing process. Put the ribs in an aluminum foil pan with a little apple juice in the bottom, about one inch. Stand them on end in the pan if you need to. Cover with foil and cook on low until tender. Again, 325 degrees and indirect would be a good target. If you have a hard time keeping your grill low, you’ll need to check that the apple juice doesn’t all cook off. Replenish it as needed. This step can even be done in the oven. The time for this step is one hour as a guideline; but again, this will vary depending on your equipment. Test the ribs by sticking them with a toothpick to see when they are soft and tender. (*At this point you could cool them down, wrap them separately and reheat later. This is a great way to take ribs to a tailgate party or to prepare ahead for a party at home.)
- Transfer the cooked ribs to a medium hot grill. Brush with BBQ sauce and flip for a just a few minutes. Cut in to pieces and serve.
Rub
- Combine all ingredients, mix well, and store in an airtight container. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: BBQ
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 680
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use Turbinado sugar in the rub instead of regular sugar?
Turbinado sugar has larger, coarser crystals than white sugar and a light molasses flavor. In Dr. BBQ’s Big Time Rub, it forms a deep caramelized crust on the ribs during the first stage on the grill at around 325°F without burning as quickly as refined white sugar would at that temperature.
What is the purpose of the foil pan and apple juice step?
After the initial grill and honey baste, the ribs go into a foil pan with about one inch of apple juice, covered tightly, and cook for another hour at 325°F. This steam-braise is the tenderizing step — the recipe notes that if your grill runs hot you will need to watch the juice level and replenish it as needed.
Can I make these ribs ahead of time for a party?
Yes — the recipe specifically calls this out as a great tailgate or party strategy. After the foil-pan tenderizing step, cool the ribs, wrap them separately, and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, transfer them to a medium-hot grill, brush with BBQ sauce, and flip for a few minutes to finish.
How much of the rub-sugar mix goes on each side of the slab?
Dr. BBQ’s ratio is about two-thirds of the rub mixture on the meaty side and one-third on the boney side, applied about 30 minutes before the ribs go on the grill.
Could you give more detail on how to arrange the ribs when using the apple juice in your championship ribs?