Who doesn’t love barbecue pork ribs? Far from being a regional cuisine, pork ribs cooked to a supreme, mouthwatering tenderness please multitudes across the country. One famed chain restaurant even spotlights its barbecue pork ribs above all other menu items in advertisements geared to reel in diners by the throngs – with huge success.

Buying barbecue pork ribs offline, from a brick-and-mortar store, or cooking them at home lies squarely with the consumer. A multitude of online purveyors haunt the Internet, and we all know at least one excellent barbecue joint in our locale that ranks as legendary. But this article focuses on those wanting to try their hand at preparing this longtime favorite food themselves. So read on to discover tips about preparing barbecue pork ribs that just might make you go down in history – at least the history of your friends and family!

Many people who cook barbecue pork ribs light a fire, tear off the butcher or grocery store packaging, throw the rack of ribs on the grill and smear bottled sauce on them, never ceasing to be disappointed when their ribs turn out dry, burnt, tough, and tasteless.

Here’s a tried-and-true method to get those succulent, melt-in-your-mouth barbecue pork ribs you so longingly covet:

Prepare the fire in charcoal grill or smoker. For a grill, arrange fire on one side only. Cooking barbecue pork ribs entails plenty of patience, time, and charcoal – so make sure to have plenty of all three. Rinse ribs, pat dry, and remove membrane.

Using a pastry brush, cover entire rack of ribs with salad mustard – the kind you keep in the fridge for sandwiches and such. On top of the mustard, sprinkle your favorite store-bought barbecue dry seasoning mix – or make one yourself from 6 tablespoons salt, 6 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika. (This makes enough for several meals, so store in fridge or freezer in an airtight container.)

If using a smoker, target temperature for around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, your barbecue pork ribs come out fork tender after about five hours. Using a grill, you’ll need to place ribs away from the direct heat of the flames – on the other side of the grill rack away from the fire.

Crack bottom vents and cover grill with its top, positioning grill-cover vents so that smoke pulls across meat. Cook 4-5 hours, checking occasionally to make sure flame has not gone out. Slice ribs individually and serve with finishing sauce.