How to Grill Country Style Ribs

Co-authored by Santos Aviles and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: February 12, 2023

If you've bought country style ribs and have no idea how to grill them, you have a few choices. You can simply season the ribs and grill them over very low heat for several hours. Brush the ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve the tender ribs. Or you can mix up a dry rub and coat the ribs in the mixture. Grill each side of the ribs over medium-high heat until the meat is tender.

Ingredients

Barbecued Country Style Ribs

4 country ribs, about 3 pounds (1.4 kg)
Kosher salt to season
1/4 cup (55 g) vegetable oil
1 bottle (about 18 ounces or 510 g) barbecue sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Dry-Rubbed Country Style Ribs

2 tablespoons (25 g) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons (36 g) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground ancho chile
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground chipotle chile
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) onion powder
3 1/2 pounds (1.6 kg) country-style pork ribs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Grilling Barbecued Country Style Ribs

1
Cut the ribs. Get out 4 country ribs weighing about 3 pounds (1.4 kg) total. To make the ribs easier to handle, use a sharp knife to slice each rib in half, so you have short pieces.^{[1]
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2
Season the ribs. Drizzle enough vegetable oil over the ribs to coat them. You might need up to 1/4 cup (55 g) of vegetable oil. Use a brush or your fingers to rub the oil evenly over the ribs. Sprinkle them generously with kosher salt.^{[2]
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- Don't worry about trimming the fat from the ribs because it will render and crisp up as the ribs cook.
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3
Heat 2-zone charcoal grill or turn a gas grill on to low. Turn a gas grill on to low or use only half of the burners to create a 2-zone heat source. If you're using a charcoal grill, heat the briquettes until they're ashy hot. Dump the coals on one half of the grill grate to make a 2-zone fire.^{[3]
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4
Grill the ribs for over indirect heat for 90 minutes. Arrange the seasoned ribs on the cool side of the grill that isn't directly over the heat source. Put the lid on the grill and cook the ribs for 90 minutes.^{[4]
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5
Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and grill them for 30 minutes. Pour 1 bottle (about 18 ounces or 510 g) of barbecue sauce into a bowl and dip a brush into the sauce. Brush all sides of the ribs with some of the sauce. Put the lid back on the grill and grill the ribs for 30 minutes.^{[5]
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6
Turn the ribs and grill them for 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 more hours. Use long tongs to turn the ribs every 30 minutes so they cook evenly. Continue to grill the ribs over indirect or low heat until the meat is completely tender and the fat renders. This can take another 2 1/2 hours to 4 1/2 hours depending on your ribs.^{[6]
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7
Brush the ribs with sauce. Sear them over high heat for one to two minutes. Once the meat is tender and difficult to turn, brush the ribs with more barbecue sauce. Move the ribs to the hot side of the grill that's directly over the heat source. Grill the ribs for one to two minutes so that the sauce caramelizes.^{[7]
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- Don't let the ribs char or blacken.
8
Rest the ribs for five minutes and serve them. Use tongs to carefully take the ribs off of the grill. Put them on a serving plate and let them rest for about five minutes. Serve the hot ribs with your favorite sides.^{[8]
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- If you'd like to store the leftover ribs, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You may need to brush them with more sauce before you serve them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Grilling Dry-Rubbed Country Style Ribs

1
Combine the dry rub. Get out a small bowl and measure all of the dry rub ingredients into it. Stir the mixture until the spices are well mixed. You'll need:^{[9]
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- 2 tablespoons (25 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (36 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground ancho chile
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground chipotle chile
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) onion powder
2
Coat the ribs with the dry rub. Get out 3 1/2 pounds (1.6 kg) of country-style pork ribs and spread the dry rub across them. Use your fingers to work the dry rub into the meat on all sides.^{[10]
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3
Chill the ribs for at least 8 hours. Transfer the seasoned ribs to a sealable plastic bag or a long baking dish that you can cover. Put the ribs in the refrigerator and chill them for at least 8 hours or overnight.^{[11]
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- To many professionals, this step can be skipped. As long as you're seasoning and smoking your ribs well, they're gonna be good.
4
Set the ribs out for 1 hour. An hour before you want to grill the ribs, take them out of the refrigerator. Let the ribs sit out at room temperature to take the chill off. This will help them cook evenly.^{[12]
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5
Heat a grill between medium and medium-high heat. Turn a gas grill on between medium and medium-high heat or heat charcoal briquettes. Pour the hot, ashy briquettes directly in the center of the grill grate.^{[13]
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- The temperature of the grill should be between 350 °F (177 °C) and 450 °F (232 °C).
6
Arrange the country ribs on the grill and sear them for 5 to 7 minutes. Place the seasoned ribs so the flatter sides are facing down on the grill. Put the lid on the grill and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes. The ribs should become dark brown and crisp on one side.^{[14]
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7
Turn and grill the country ribs for 5 to 7 more minutes. Lift the lid off of the grill and use long tongs to turn the ribs over. Put the lid back on the grill and cook the ribs for 5 to 7 more minutes. They should become crispy and browned.^{[15]
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8
Tilt the ribs onto their thin sides and grill them for four to six minutes. Remove the lid and move the ribs, so they're resting up on their thinnest sides. You might have to set them next to each other or use a rib rack to get them to stay up. Put the lid on the grill and cook them for four to six minutes.^{[16]
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9
Turn the ribs onto the other thin side and grill them for four to six more minutes. Take the lid off the grill and use tongs to turn the ribs to the other thin side. Put the lid back on and grill them for another four to six minutes, so they are browned and crispy on all four sides.^{[17]
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10
Check the temperature with a thermometer. Take the lid off and insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a rib. The ribs are finished cooking once the temperature reaches 145 °F (63 °C).^{[18]
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11
Remove and rest the country ribs. Use the tongs to transfer the cooked ribs to a serving plate. Cover the plate loosely with foil and let the ribs rest for five minutes. Resting will allow the juices to redistribute within the meat.^{[19]
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12
Serve or store the ribs. Serve the ribs while they're still hot. Offer your favorite sides (such as potato salad, corn on the cob, or baked beans). If you'd like to store the leftover ribs, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.^{[20]
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