We think of ribs as an all-day affair, the meat cooked in smoke and low heat until it begins to pull from the bone. But baby backs are quicker and can be grilled as well, and the result is delicious. This recipe benefits from a basting technique used by the chef and barbecue madman Adam Perry Lang, who thins out his barbecue sauce with water, then paints it onto the meat he’s cooking in coat after coat, allowing it to reduce and intensify rather than seize up and burn.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce (see recipe)
  • 2 racks baby back pork ribs, about 2¼ pounds each
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      1252 calories; 83 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 35 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 97 grams protein; 352 milligrams cholesterol; 1086 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

  1. Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)
  2. Meanwhile, combine barbecue sauce with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Set aside.
  3. Sprinkle the ribs generously with salt and pepper, put them on the grill directly over the coals and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once every 5 minutes or so, and basting with the thinned barbecue sauce, until a peek inside shows that the meat no longer has any pink at the center.
  4. Take the racks of ribs off the grill, cut them into individual ribs and serve.

30 minutes

Dining and Cooking