Kansas City Championship Sweet and Sticky Beef Ribs

Kansas City Style Ribs are typically characterized by the thick, sticky sauce brushed on in the last 30 minutes of cooking. The dry rub and sauce are on the sweet side using a brown sugar base, but are balanced with chili powder and pepper, producing some truly finger licking good ribs.

I give you step by step directions to make the Kansas City Style Ribs dry rub that can be used on either baby back or spare ribs, a delicious Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce and how to grill, smoke or bake these killer ribs.

Be sure to ask your butcher to remove the membrane from the back of the rack, and trim the pork ribs of any excess fat.

If you pick them up already packaged simply make a slit on the back side and pull the thin, shiny membrane off the ribs. Below you can see these are cleaned and ready for the dry rub.

I believe this is the fourth in my Ribs Series this year and it's a classic style of rib namely due to the Kansas City Style dry rub and sauce.

With a 2/1 ratio of brown sugar to paprika and the usual dry rub spices like garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper, chili and cayenne pepper, this is a great balance of sweet and savory with a slight kick. Use less cayenne if heat is not your thing. Bump up the heat if you like, too.

After the dry rub the baby backs are wrapped in aluminum foil and refrigerated to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, but feel free to do it overnight.

If the grill or smoker isn't an option, I got you covered with instructions to make these in the oven, but just add a little liquid smoke to the Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce for the outdoor grill flavor.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place the ribs, bone side down, on top of a wire rack set in an aluminum foil lined baking tray and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through, cover ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out.

In the last hour of grilling/smoking, baste the top of each rack with the reserved marinade or BBQ sauce every 15 minutes and close the lid. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. You want the ribs to have an internal temperature of 145°F. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes prior to cutting.

What to do with any leftovers?

If there are any leftover ribs, I typically make my BBQ Pork with Cheesy Grits . Leftover pork ribs get shredded and simmered in your favorite BBQ sauce and top creamy, cheesy grits for a Southern inspired dinner that's sure to satisfy.

For other killer rib ideas, learnHow to Make Baby Back Ribs,How to Make St. Louis Style Ribs, or theseHow to Make Memphis Style Ribs. Enjoy!

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs or spare ribs
• Oak or hickory wood chips soaked (if smoking)
• Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce (recipe link)
• Kansas City Style Dry Rub (recipe link)
• 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke (See Note 1)

• Whisk together the Kansas City Style Dry Rub spices together and set aside.

• Remove the membrane from the back of the rack, and trim the pork ribs of any excess fat. Rub each rack liberally with the rub on both sides. Wrap ribs in foil or large container and refrigerate over night (optional, minimum 2 hours).

• Remove the ribs from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Soak wood chips and start your grill or smoker.

• Mix together the Kansas City Style barbecue sauce recipe and set aside or use your favorite.

For the Grill:

• If you like it low and slow, set up the grill and preheat to 225°F. Add smoker chips per manufacturer's instructions if using.

• Place the ribs, bone side down, in the center of the grate, cover the grill and and cook the ribs about 4 to 5 hours for baby backs or 5 to 6 hours for spare ribs.

• In the last hour of grilling/smoking, baste the top of each rack with the reserved marinade or BBQ sauce every 15 minutes and close the lid. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.

• Remove from the grill and let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the ribs.

• If you don't have the time: Set up the grill and preheat to medium (325° to 350°F).

• Place the ribs, bone side down, in the center of the grate, cover the grill and cook the ribs for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs.

• In the last hour of grilling/smoking, baste the top of each rack with the reserved marinade or BBQ sauce every 15 minutes and close the lid. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.

• Remove from the grill and let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the ribs.

For the Smoker:

• Set up and light the smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions and preheat it to low (225°F). Add smoker chips per manufacturer's instructions.

• Place the ribs in the smoker bone side down and smoke until cooked through, 4 to 5 hours for baby backs or 5 to 6 hours for spare ribs.

• In the last 2 hours of grilling/smoking, baste the top of each rack with the reserved marinade or BBQ sauce every 15 minutes and close the lid. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.

• Remove from the smoker and let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the ribs.

For the Oven:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.

• Place the ribs, bone side down, on top of a wire rack set in an aluminum foil lined baking tray and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through, cover ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out.

• In the last 1/2 hour of baking, baste the top of each rack with the barbecue sauce, re-cover with foil, and finish cooking. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. You want the ribs to have an internal temperature of 145°F. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes prior to cutting.

For the Instant Pot:

• Place trivet in bottom of pot and add 1 cup of water (or apple/pineapple juice, optional).

• Set ribs upright on the trivet so they are not stacked on top of one another.

• Close lid and vent. Select Manual Pressure and set timer for 24 minutes (25-28 minutes depending if they're extra meaty).

• Once done, allow the Instant Pot to go through natural release.

• Brush with marinade or barbecue sauce (or olive oil/seasoning for dry ribs) and broil or grill until slightly sticky and slightly charred.

1. Only use the liquid smoke if baking in the kitchen. Add it to the BBQ Sauce before basting in last 30 minutes of baking, but this is optional.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Calories: 100 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 1096 mg | Potassium: 211 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 19 g | Vitamin A: 2964 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 42 mg | Iron: 2 mg

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Source: https://keviniscooking.com/how-to-make-kansas-city-style-ribs/

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