Southern grilled pork ribs

Emily Monaco

Contributing Writer

There are as many ways to barbecue ribs as there are cooks in the South, but the recipe below is a surefire crowd pleaser for anyone who's a fan of a sweeter sauce. Brown sugar, ketchup, and honey are married with a host of sweet and savory spices for ribs that you can really sink your teeth into.
This sauce works just as well on chicken, so you can easily double the recipe and baste some bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs in it. Just throw them on the grill about 20 minutes before you finish off the pork ribs, and everything will be finished at the same time.

Cooktop Cove

Southern Grilled Pork Ribs

5 minutes

3 hours

3 hours 5 minutes

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons mustard powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups ketchup

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 rack pork ribs

Combine the cayenne pepper, garlic powder, allspice, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan, whisk together the mustard powder, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, honey, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes to an hour, whisking occasionally, until thick.

Meanwhile, prepare the ribs. Coat the ribs in the soy sauce and then apply the dry rub. Top with the remaining brown sugar. Smoke low and slow for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

When the ribs are cooked, baste them with the sauce and grill over high heat. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Resources Outdoor Cooking

Print this recipe