Marinating Ribs

Why do you want to marinate them?

Don't mean to sound blunt... but that questions will make a huge difference in getting an answer that will help you out

Ribs are thin enough that the rub and smoke gives me plenty of "internal" taste.

If you are just looking to jazz stuff up, then how about trying something other than the "standard rub."

I was just asking, thinking you might want to do something asian, or something southwest like using tequila and limes... etc.

Try brine-ing instead of marinade. Simple Brine works well.

To rub or not to rub....

Well I used to marinade but I dont any more. Here is what I can recomend that is always good. Honey, Jack Daniel's, Black Pepper and a little soy. You can add some salt or what ever but that is a reallt good base to start with. If ya wana get a little funky inject it into the meat between the bones... Then add a nice Brownsugar & Chipotle Powder rub with some sea salt... Dang im hungry....

Supposedly Dr Pepper makes a decent marinade.

You gotta really be careful about having too much salt in your marinade if your going to marinade for a long time (like overnight). It can make your ribs look and taste like ham. Remember that soy sauce is basically salt too.

I use to marinade my ribs with a citrus marinade. I would take about 6 to 8 oranges, 3 to 6 lemons, remove peel, leaving a bit of the white stuff just under the peel, then cut each orange into about 8 pieces, the lemons into four. I would then place them in blender, add some salt, pepper, paprika, Worschtershieyrererere sauce, a bit of teryaki, orange juice, and some beer. I would add more spices here adn there to experiment, but nothing I could ever remember. I would then blend it all and pour over ribs in a trash bag. The acidity in the citrus would actually tenderize the ribs. I would then marinate over night. I would put on my kettle grill, indirect heat and add some hickory chips, and leave them on for about 3 to 4 hours. They would come out pretty tender, but nothing like the 3-2-1 method.

Since being "schooled" on this web site, the brothers have shown me the way. I now just rub them down as the firewood in my smoker is lighting, about an hour before i put them on the grill. basic kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, a little sugar and BAM. Using the 3-2-1 method has really made the meat fall of the bone, literally. And don't forget to let the ribs "finish cooking" in the cooler for another hour or so. Patience is the name of the game. No need to rush, if you really want a good finish product.

Thanks my BBQ brothers.

I tried it once and I thought they came out with a hamy taste. IMO If you want to JAZZ it up, why not try doing different finishing glazes on the ribs.

Jerk

No not you, do some jerk ribs. Here's the trick:
Make a jerk paste (use fresh ground allspice!), or buy a good one (the bad ones are full of sugar, we don't want that!). Walkerswood or Busha Browns. Smear it on a couple hours before the ribs go on. Don't need much. There is very little sugar in the good jerk pastes, it wont burn on, it will mostly cook off.
Then smear more on for the last hour. Then dump a bit on when you serve.

I have some home made jerk paste that is going on something tonight, don't know what yet.

why don't you try just soy sauce? try a rack, just as you doing your other racks, just soak it in the soy sauce for 10 minutes, dry and grind some pepper on it, you will be suprised how good it is! it has a excellent taste, not to asianish, or anything.

Michael

FEC100
Traeger 124
WSM

My buddy marinates his ribs in fruit juice. I prefer to rub them down a few hours (overnight) prior to cooking.