Country-style ribs are less like baby back ribs or spareribs and more like well-marbled pork chops. They contain both lean loin meat and a section of dark shoulder meat. The trick to cooking these on the grill was getting both parts to cook evenly. We started with a simple dry rub of chili powder, cayenne, salt, and brown sugar, which encouraged browning while adding a complex sweetness. We cooked the ribs to 150 degrees, at which point both the light and the dark meat were nicely tender. We started the ribs over the hotter side of the grill for excellent browning and finished them on the cooler side, where it was easy to baste the ribs with barbecue sauce and allow it to slowly caramelize without burning. When purchasing bone-in country-style ribs, look for those that are approximately 1 inch thick and that contain a large proportion of dark meat. Be sure to carefully trim the pork to reduce the number of flare-ups on the grill.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs, trimmed
- ½ cup barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving
- Combine sugar, salt, chili powder, and cayenne in bowl. Rub ribs evenly with spice mixture, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For a Charcoal Grill
- Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For a Gas Grill
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners to maintain grill temperature around 350 degrees.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place ribs on hotter side of grill. Cover and cook until well browned on both sides, 4 to 7 minutes total. Move ribs to cooler side of grill and brush with ¼ cup sauce. Cover and cook for 6 minutes.
- Flip ribs and brush with remaining ¼ cup sauce. Cover and continue to cook until pork registers 150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer ribs to platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with extra sauce.