Chef and pitmaster Dr BBQ shares his recipe for the most delicious baby back ribs! The perfect char, the most addictive sauce – it’s what your BBQ was made for!
Why Dr BBQ’s Famous Baby Back Ribs Are So Good
- From the mind of an award wining pitmaster.
- BBQ’d over cherry and hickory wood, for an incredible depth of flavor.
- A finger licking sweet and sticky glaze.
- Perfect for serving a large BBQ crowd.
Dr. BBQ is a wonderful friend of mine! I love this man for showing me how to BBQ.
Ingredients
Baby Back Ribs
- Baby back ribs, membrane on back of ribs removed
- Honey
- Apple juice
- Dr. BBQ’s Sweet and Sticky Glaze (see below)
- Dr. BBQ’s rub (see below)
Dr. BBQ’s Rub
- Salt, sugar, brown sugar
- Granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin
- Ground black pepper
- Dried thyme
- Ground nutmeg
Dr. BBQ’s Sweet and Sticky Glaze
- Ketchup
- Dark molasses
- White vinegar
- Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, mace
- Paprika
- Ground black pepper
- Liquid Smoke (Optional)
- Honey
- Hot sauce of choice
How To Make Dr BBQ’s Baby Back Ribs – Step by Step
- Prepare your cooker for indirect grilling at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, using cherry and hickory wood for flavor. Season the ribs with the rub. Put the ribs into the smoker, meaty site up for two hours. Flip the ribs and cook another hour. Remove the ribs to a platter.
- Take a double-thick piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (big enough to wrap a slab of ribs), and slather about 1/3 cup of honey on each sheet, spreading it where the ribs will lie. Place the ribs meaty side down and add more honey on top of the slab.
- Now crimp the edges of the foil and pour 1/2 cup of apple juice in the bottom. Do this for all three slabs. Loosely close the packets around the ribs and lay them back in the cooker.
- To make the rub just mix the ingredient in a bowl.
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, stir well, and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce and thicken
- Cook another 90 minutes. Carefully unwrap the packets and take out the ribs. Place the ribs back on the cooker, raising the temperature to 350 degrees. Brush with the glaze or barbecue sauce and flip several times for another 20 minutes.
<– THIS IS THE BIG GREEN EGG. It’s ugly. I love it.
Big Green Egg
Recently, my good friend, Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ, came over with a nice little present for me: a Big Green Egg. He also lugged in a bag of charcoal and some hickory, but I didn’t whine about the black glitter on the carpets. Nor did I obsessively dab at my husband’s shirt with the bleach pen. When you’ve got Dr. BBQ in your home, you just let him do his thing.
Ray taught us the basics of barbecuing and how to use the Big Green Egg, which looks more like a bomb shelter than a grill. The smoked salmon came out silky with the perfect hint of hickory (though Ray says for salmon, cherry or alder wood chips are best). When it came time to grill our steaks, the flames shot straight up. Oops, that was my fault. I’m used to lubing the steaks with cooking oil to coax some flame action from our regular lame-o grill.
Ray left the Egg for us, and we’ve put it to use every night since. I’m considering spray-painting the darn thing hot pink in case he comes back to get it. I really can’t see that man rolling a Big Pink Egg to championship barbecue competitions.
DR BBQ’s Sweet and Sticky Glaze
This is what Dr. BBQ always uses to finish his ribs and chicken at BBQ cookoffs around the country. It has the perfect depth of flavor, balancing heat, sweetness and stickiness, just how a BBQ glaze should be!
Some people want a glaze, sticky with dark crunchy spots. Some people like it saucy, 100 napkins for your face and arms to the elbow, kind of saucy. This glaze pleases both groups!
Dr BBQ’s Dry Rub
This dry rub is like an orchestra of flavors, that play in perfect harmony:
Sugar. Sweetness is a common addition because it is a flavor enhancer, it helps browning, and with crust formation.
Savory. Savory flavors coming from the onion and garlic powder balance the sweetness so well.
Spicy. Spicy flavors from the chili powder and cayenne add excitement!
Top Tips For Dr BBQ’s Baby Back Ribs
- Cherry and hickory wood chips add a wonderful sweet and smoky depth to the meat, but you can use other wood chips.
- For the most tender ribs, remove the thin membrane covering the rack.
- When storing, pork fares best in the freezer if packaged with freezer-friendly materials like waxed paper, aluminum foil, or heavy-duty plastic bags.
- Wrap any meat tightly so that air does not escape and freeze at 0°F. Generally, fresh cuts of pork can last up to six months, while ground pork can last up to three.
Check Out These Delicious BBQ Recipes
- How to Make Mongolian BBQ at Home
- Oven BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe
- Vietnamese BBQ Tacos
- BBQ Central Smoky Sweet Wings
Have you tried DR BBQ’s Famous Baby Back Ribs? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Dr. BBQ’s Famous Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
Baby back ribs
- 3 slabs baby back ribs membrane on back of ribs removed
- 2 cups honey
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice
- 2 cups of Dr. BBQ’s Sweet and Sticky Glaze see below
Dr. BBQ’s rub (see below)
- Dr. BBQ’s rub
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
Dr. BBQ’s Sweet and Sticky Glaze
- This is what Dr. BBQ always uses to finish his ribs and chicken at BBQ cookoffs around the country.
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon mace
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon Liquid Smoke Optional
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce of choice
Instructions
Baby Back Ribs
- Prepare your cooker for indirect grilling at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, using cherry and hickory wood for flavor. Season the ribs with the rub. Put the ribs into the smoker, meaty site up for two hours. Flip the ribs and cook another hour. Remove the ribs to a platter.
- Take a double-thick piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (big enough to wrap a slab of ribs), and slather about 1/3 cup of honey on each sheet, spreading it where the ribs will lie. Place the ribs meaty side down and add more honey on top of the slab. Now crimp the edges of the foil and pour 1/2 cup of apple juice in the bottom. Do this for all three slabs. Loosely close the packets around the ribs and lay them back in the cooker.
- Cook another 90 minutes. Carefully unwrap the packets and take out the ribs. Place the ribs back on the cooker, raising the temperature to 350 degrees. Brush with the glaze or barbecue sauce and flip several times for another 20 minutes.
Rub
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl
Sweet and sticky glaze
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, stir well, and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce and thicken
Nutrition
<– THIS IS DR. BBQ. He knows his shit. Ray has authored these books:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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I use charcoal in my pit and smoker
Can you make this in the oven? I do not have a BBQ. At what temperature and for how long in the oven? Thank you.
We saw Dr. BBQ at the San Jose BBQ fest, just followed his recipe and made the best ribs I have ever cooked with just some Costco back loin. Did it in a convection oven at 255F.
Jaden – I just posted this comment on the eggheadforum.com –
I guess I’d seen and heard of the Egg earlier, but never remotely thought about owning one.
Then June 13 had a terrific review here – https://steamykitchen.com/4034-dr-bbqs-baby-back-ribs.html and I was really attracted.
I spent the next 5 weeks or so surfing everything I could find (mostly egghead forum and BBQ Brethren,) visited a local dealer in north San Diego, he tried to switch me to a Traeger. Researched the heck out of that. Wife ordered Charcouterie (we love his blog too) and he likes the Bradley. Researched THAT like crazy too! Then the local dealer called to tell me about the Sams’ Club special and they’d match it, did I want one? I diddled around two days and it was sold with no more stock there! Next shipment two more weeks! It was rough waiting and I ALMOST got the pellet pusher. Sams’ deal went away but he still said he’d do the deal! Finally picked up my lage Egg last Thursday and my wife eagerly helped put together the cradle, rings etc…
Totally cautious inaugural dinner to check out the useage – pork “brisket grillers” from Costco seared then set low to finish. Worked just as I read in all forums for weeks – perfect. Temp seemed set and steady so on with a sourdough boule I had planned to do in the oven – perfect again! Next night flank steak – perfect! Then Altons’ cedar planked trout – perfect again! Not bad for a first week. I love it!
Ordered adjustable rack and toys from ceramicgrillstore.com that I heard about here. Eager to go indirect next and work pizza, butt and brisket, even without a Stoker or Guru.
Thanks to everyone here for contributing to the education. And thanks to Dr. BBQ for getting Jaden excited enough to glow about it and get my researching started. Without her I wouldn’t be an Egghead!
Thanks Jaden!
Will have to try the honey. I usually use sugar, but the honey sounds like a good substitute.
What a gift! The Big Green Egg is a great device. I miss my Brinkman charcoal grill/smoker that I had at home in PA. But alas, I now live in an apartment complex in CA where grills of all sorts are persona non grata.
PS. Im an email subscriber!! ^.^
Well… i think it’s much more environment friendly to just cook inside on a cook’s bff(well, mine at least) the infamous stove! but i simply LOVE the charcoal-y taste on food.
Much prefer charcoal, although we have yet to learn how to get it lit and keep it going long enough to cook anything all the way through. Grilling seem beyond our comprehension. 🙠Would LOVE to have Dr. BBQ hand-deliver a BGE to us and then give us personal lessons in how to use!
I love the taste of charcoal!! but gas is just fine, a close second.
Gotta have both! I do the turkey day bird in the charcoal grill, but for the everyday ease of use it’s the gas grill. I’d love to have a big green egg. Hmmmm. Hey Jaden,how about a big green egg giveaway???
My vote is charcoal for two main reasons:
1) the obvious one — the flavor imparted by the charcoals adds depth unachievable by gas
2) the experience — waiting for coals to heat up while hanging out around a pseudo-campfire smelling the smoky charcoal builds anticipation for the delicious meal that is to come.
Totally agree! That’s entertaining at its finest.
I like using charcoal.It may take long but it sure smells good and it tastes even better.
Charcoal for me. It just seems to taste better.
I’m an email subscriber
Sure you can get things going a lot faster with a gas grill but I’d rather wait longer than sacrifice flavor. It’s charcoal for me, baby!
“I’m an email subscriber”
I’ve cooked on both gas and charcoal and I must admit that charcoal is by far the best for imparting that earthy smokey flavor to the food I grill with it!
Charcoal, because my Big Green Egg won’t use gas. 🙂
I have to admit I am a convert. Having used gas for all my outdoor grilling needs, I found little or no need to try charcoal. I was always of the belief that it was far simpler and easier to light the gas grill and cook than it was to prep the charcoal, light it, arrange it so no hot spots and keep it going.
That was till Dr. BBQ opened our eyes to the Big Green Egg! What a marvelous grill! I found it amazingly simple to light the grill and get it going. No fuss really! Incredible temperature control. best of all it does infuse so much flavor into the foods.
I was also amazed at how little charcoal was actually consumed during the cooking process. We used the grill everyday for 8 days straight and still had half a bag of charcoal left from the original bag.
Since we eat outside alot, the cermanic grill offered a nice secondary benefit of being a food warmer after we snuffed out the fire (which took about 3 minutes).
The Big Green Egg is the bomb!
Charcoal – for it’s wonderful taste!
I like charcoal because of its flavor!
propane I work full time and love the ease
gas – because I usually don’t plan very far ahead and like the ease of set up.
I use both gas and charcoal for my grilling needs. If I need something done fast after work for my wife and I, I will use gas for the quickness of it. Plus my wife can work the gas grill easier. If I am doing weekend grilling, then it is charcoal for he slow process and I find it very relaxing…along with having that tasty smoke flavor!
…it depends on the food you’re making (according to my husband. I’m asking him his opinion as we speak, since he’s the one who likes to grill). Charcoal is good for ribs (which my husband LOVES). It’s better for slow-cooking and adding different flavors (i.e., mesquite). With gas, you’ll only get one flavor. However, the upside of a gas grill is that it heats up fast and you can cook fast. Oh, and another thing about a gas grill is that you have MORE control over the heat…..so says the Hubster. =)
I go with gas grilling and I’m a email subscriber too
Email subscriber
Gas for convience
@maria: propane and charcoal aren’t equal when it comes to harming the environment, and neither is an electric stove.
most electricity in the country is generated from coal, a non-renewable resource which results a net ADD of CO2. propane is also a net add, since the CO2 was locked away, but is now released into the atmosphere.
charcoal is made from trees. they are renewable, and the carbon in trees which ultimately becomes part of the atmosphere was already part of the atmosphere, when the tree was growing. all things being equal, if you grew trees and burnt charcoal, it would be a cycle with no added CO2.
aside from that, though, purely as a fuel source for food, propane or electric adds nothing to the food as far as flavor goes.
anyone serious about food needs to look into an egg. try setting any other cooker for 250, and letting it go all night without adding fuel or wood (for smoke). it holds temps rock steady. even an electric oven experiences rising and falling temps as the element cycles on and off trying to hold an average temp. the egg just nails it, and sits there pegged to whatever temp you want, until you fiddle with it
no one who likes good food rushes it, frankly. but if you are impatient, the egg can hit temps in as little as 20 minutes (that temp being 750 or so, which is higher than any gasser). and when you want steaks, keep in mind that the charcoal burns at around 1200-1400 degrees. besides, waiting ain’t so bad. gives you a reason to have another beverage
Gas – it is so easy!!
Hardwood Lump Charcoal ONLY! I have a large Big Green Egg and it takes not much time at all to get the lump lit and up to temp and it provides much better flavor than with gas. Also love to bake with lump charcoal in the Egg….
Lump charcoal on the BGE. I love my BGEs and I have attended Dr BBQ’s cooking classes. I bake, sear, roast, cold smoke, grill all on my lump charcoal Eggs.
Charcoal forever! Its not that bad if u get a charcoal chimney. It starts firing up in 10 mins.
And I’m an email subscriber too…
Funny — while I adapt such amazing recipes to veg foods, my son is a full blown barbeque fan. He’s already ordered the book. Thanks for the great pics of the kids.
Gas, all the way – I’m much too impatient to wait for charcoal, and the food tastes great. It gets caramelized just fine on a gas grill and that’s where the flavor is, for me.
I’m an email subscriber.
I am an e mail subscriber.
Charcoal or wood, hands down. If you are going to use gas, you might just as well cook it in your kitchen.
Both! Charcoal gives wonderful flavor for the weekend ritual of outdoor cooking. But we enjoy the quick cooking and cleanup of a weeknight meal from the gas grill.
When I have the time I use charcoal for the flavor.
And I’m also an email subscriber.
Gas! (because it’s all I have access to right now)
I’m email subcriber
Definately Charcoal! The taste that get smoked into whatever you are BBQing is incredible … especially Satay!!!
Charcoal! I love the flavor it gives. Plus I just love our little hibachi grill that we can use in our apartment parking space or take anywhere we want.
OK — I was all ready to tell you why gas is better. But then I read all of the responses singing the praises of charcoal. Now I’m just confused! But one thing I do know… I’d love to win Dr. B’s cookbook!
love bbq but nothing beats charcoal
and I subscribe, too
Charcoal, because Gas has no flavor (plus complicated things are cooler lol)
Jaden –
Good afternoon. Charcoal or wood is for me, I think gas is cheating and you just don’t get that down home taste, just my opinion though.
I’m an email subscriber!
Charcoal! I love the extra taste it adds!
Charcoal/wood has the best taste for cooking ribs and chicken. It gives them that slight smokey taste that few bbq joints ever acheive (in my opinion)instead of the overwhelming smoke taste. If all I wanted to taste was smoke, I could try and find an old bar here in Florida where they haven’t outlawed smoking and lick the ashtrays for fun. Yum!
Honestly, some charcoal with some peach or hickory wood just make it a little taste of heaven. However, I like my hot dogs grilled, so I also have a gas grill for those days when the little one wants a hot dog for lunch. It’s also a great way to go outside, get the grill going, get away from everyone, and enjoy an adult beverage by oneself.
I like the convenience of gas, but the taste of charcoal.
Oh, and you guessed it…I’m an email subscriber!
I love gas for convenience, but as inexperienced at charcoal as I am, I prefer it for taste! Would love to learn a bit from Dr. BBQ!
I am an e-mail subscriber and I enjoy your site very much!
Wood charcoal truly is best. The low and slow method does take a long time – but on a weekend or holiday with family and friends the waiting is part of the fun (along with a few adult bevs)! Nothing like a pork shoulder that pulls apart with a fork!
I love charcoal. We have used cowboy charcoal, which heats up and burns away a little to quickly, so we are back to briquets!!..
Oh wow wrapping up and cooking is really an awesome idea……we wrap fish or chicken pieces in banana leaves and steam so that the flavour of leaf and spice’s blend to give soft chicken/fish pieces……giveaway sounds gr8!
I like charcoal better because of the taste.
charcoal is the best–but gas wins for covenience and air quality.
Also, I’m an email subscriber.
I’m a fan of gas, because it’s easier. I know everyone says that charcoal is better, but I’m lazy in that regard.
This is all moot, because I can’t have a grill where I live now. It’s a catastrophe.
Gas, because I’m a control freak.
Don’t enter me in the contest; I already have the book signed by Ray! But charcoal or wood over gas any day. With the egg, in particular, it’s as easy as gas, and much better flavor.
Gas, because it’s just easier. 🙂
Oh! and another thing, im your loyal email subscriber.
Hi! im still just an amateur cook who barely knows anything about barbeque-ing. So my answer is neither. both gas and coal are bad for the environment. i prefer to cook inside the kitchen with my bff; the electric stove.
I’m an email subscriber.
I like gas because we have a gas grill!
I’m an email subscriber.
I like gas for convenience, but nothing beats charcoal for taste!
Hardwood charcoal. V.E.R.Y slow for ribs, shoulder and brisket. Of course I also love my electric smoker…dial in the temp, load with 6 oz or so of appropriate wood chunks, and eat when ready. I use gas too…guess I’m pretty eclectic: use what you got to do what ya gotta, in the time ya got to do it!
I’m an email subscriber.
Just got the email and I wanted to comment on the gas vs. charcoal. They both have their place. I own and use both. For a great steak, definitely charcoal. For lots of other things, the convenience of gas and the size of the grill make a difference.
Gas. As stated by others, charcoal may have it’s benefits, but gas really is so easy and you can use a smoker box to add flavor. I wish I could afford and justify buying a decent size big green egg.
Oh, “I’m an e-mail subscriber”. 🙂
Gas. As stated by others, charcoal may have it’s benefits, but gas really is so easy and you can use a smoker box to add flavor. I wish I could afford and justify buying a decent size big green egg.
Charcoal is the real thing – and gives food an authentic bbq taste.
I’m an email subscriber!
I’m an email subscriber!
Gas. Fast and convenience although i remembered we used to have charcoal bbq when i was young. can’t remember if there’s a different. this article entices me to give it a try.
I’m a BBQ newb. I use gas because that’s what we have. Lighter fluid also scares me a bit.
The ribs look fabulous.
I’m also of the email subscriberati.
Our friends in New Orleans have a Big Green Egg too! It always amazes me how quickly and perfectly it cooks food.
That said, really? This is your first foray into the charcoal BBQ? Really? I find that so hard to believe. Really? My god, the flavor you get with charcoal and wood chips kicks the living crap out of anything off a gas grill. Of course I have both since most weeknights I don’t feel like having to wait for the charcoal. Jaden, ya gotta make a grilled pizza on that thing, asap.
I’m an e-mail subscriber!
And although we use a gas grill and it’s great nothing compares to the taste of a good steak on a charcoal grill, it reminds me of home 🙂
We use a Gas grill because we get home late from work, it’s quick, it’s easy, and with the right seasoning still tastes great! 🙂
And I’m an email subscriber!
(of course!)
Both! You can do different things with both of them 🙂
I’m an email subscriber.
I’ve only just begun trying to learn the art of grilling and have been using a gas grill. Not sure if charcoal would be better? Maybe that’s why I need the book??
I am a subscriber.
Charcoal gives the best flavor, but you can’t beat gas for fastness.
I’m an email subscriber
Dear Dr. BBQ,
I can be persuaded to come to the charcoal side, provided a Big Green Egg magically appears at my house. Feel free to drop it off next time you are in Chicagoland.
Many thanks,
Nutty
I’m an email subscriber.
Charcoal is definitely better, but I resort to my gas grill because I usually don’t have time to start a fire.
Charcoal is soo much better – when someone else does the grilling! Since I never “plan” to grill, the quickness of a gas grill serves me well.
I’m an email subscriber.
I love charcoal grilling for the flavor
I’m an email subscriber too… keep up the great work Jaden .. and the fabulous giveaways… Thank you!
I love gas for the stove but charcoal on the grill, all the way. I don’t grill very often because I don’t have consistent access to one so the charcoal definitely is in keeping with the “special event” feel that the occasion usually is.
Yumm… those ribs look delicious!!! I BBQ on a charcoal BBQ – the flavor is better and it’s how I’m most familiar with BBQing. I have a charcoal BBQ and a gas BBQ – but the charcoal is my go-to-grill.
I hope you’ll get the keep the big green egg – I’d love to have one of them!!!
both! I use a propane stove (bayou classic) to ignite my chimney of charcoal and can have a perfect fire in 15 minutes or less. I’ve found that gas grills take far longer than this to preheat, and even then I never can get them as hot as I can with charcoal. Charcoal, in my opinion is quicker and more versatile.
nice score on the egg. I’d happily ditch my beloved collection of webers for one of those babies.
If someone could figure out how to give my the charcoal grilled taste with the cleaner gas grilling environment, I’d be in griller’s heaven. Until then, I’m going with charcoal for the taste. (Which means I get to clean the grill…)
I like gas its makes it easy to cook with.
Definitely charcoal. Can’t beat the flavor even though the gas grill is more convenient.
we use gas since it’s easier to start up!
I am an Email Subscriber as well!
charcoal gives it great flavor. thanks!
Second entry — email subscriber.
Both gas and charcoal have their place. We live in Hawaii now so we grill almost nightly, usually using the faster, easier and better on the environment gas. But for luaus, charcoal is a must. Nothing beats a big old metal tub full of kiawe wood burned down to coals. And for those of us old enough to remember when charcoal was the only option for BBQ, nostalgia sometimes kicks in!
I’m a gas girl 🙂
Why? Well, for the ease of it!!
And I’m the odd duck that doesn’t like the taste of briquettes and starter fluid? LOL!
But, ooohy…I’d love to win and own a Dr BBQ cookbook!!
I’m an email subscriber.
I LOVE Dr. BBQ! That guy is the bomb when it comes to outdoor cooking! I have several different BBQs but no Green Egg. That is my next investment. I enjoy cooking with charcoal but still use the gas grill when Im in a hurry. Im sure you will enjoy your green egg. Ribs on the Egg are the best!
I’m also an email subscriber!
For convenience, we use gas. We had charcoal for years until we bought a house that had a natural gas grill hook-up. But I’ve always wanted a smoker.
I’m an email subscriber!
I prefer charcoal, but we use a gas grill due to condo rules. The ribs look fantastic!
I’m an email subscriber.
Like you, and for the same reasons, I have yet to convert to charcoal. Growing up in Kuala Lumpur, and before the introduction of propane, I have helped tend charcoal grills and remember the messiness. A collection of good recipes could spur me to try charcoal again.
email subscriber here too!
I love how easy it is to cook with my gas grill, but I will admit that charcoal is better for the flavor 🙂
I was thinking a spied a big, green egg there. I want one of those things so bad (though I’m not sure it would look all that great in my Spanish-style backyard… might be too much of an eyesore!)
We have a gas bbq, so I use gas… simple as that. When we’re at our beach house, I use a little charcoal set-up. Would love tips to shake things up in my world of grilling. The ribs look great.
I’m an email subscriber
And I forgot in the last comment. Charcoal! I have tried both and the flavors that come from the coals is something that I can not get from my gas grill.
I so need some help grilling. The BBQ recipe looks yum!
Gas. I know that charcoal tastes better but gas is much quicker. It enables me to grill veggies (& steaks) quickly & without a hassle in winter. With the smoker boxes & cedar planks, it comes closer to the taste of charcoal.
I am also an email subscrider 🙂 Thanks!
Hardwood lump Charcoal!!! Why bother with gas? All it does is make pretty marks on the food, it adds no flavor! You mine as well just get a grill pan and do it all inside. For the mess obsessed, if you have a pair of tongs, your hands & clothes will stay nice & clean. Try the hardwood lump charcoal & some woodchips & you will never go back to gas!
Propane only way to go. Fast and easy.
“I’m an email subscriber”
charcoal and/or when we can get them, with hickory chips
I’m an email subscriber! 🙂 While I still use a gas grill, I have to agree with Dr. BBQ that charcoal is best for barbecue and smoking. I have a book called Peace, Love and Barbecue by Mike Mills that is absolutely fabulous. They are championship barbecuers too, Dr. BBQ may even know them 🙂 Anyway, would love to be entered for the book, thanks!
I am an email subscriber!
Both….gas in the traditional grill and charcoal in the smoker. We switch between the two depending on what we are cooking…just a personal preference. (and sometimes time constraints)
“I’m an email subscriber”
Charcoal! In Germany most people prefer charcoal. I see rarely people using gas.
Charcoal certainly tastes better, but I grill more often with the speedy access to propane.
That’s the way to bbq man- clean with the charcoaly flavour! Beautiful. Wish you can send it over to Aus! haha. And i am a steamy kitchen email subscriber..
I’m a Steamy Kitchen email subscriber!
Charcoal-the only way I’ve ever known!
Charcoal: Learning to control the temperature and using it to cook directly/indirectly with charcoal makes you a more hands-on and intuitive chef/cook/whichever. It’s also my opinion that it imparts a far more… rustic?… flavor to meats and even vegetables (marinated zucchini, anyone?).
I’m an e-mail subscriber.
Charcoal, because it’s cheap! And I like lighting things on fire!
GAS! Charcoal is icky.
Gas – it’s just something that I’ve always used, but I’ll have to give charcoal a try soon.
I love BBQ! It is my total comfort food!
I’m an email subscriber
As much as I love Hank Hill, I gotta go with charcoal, for the superior flavor.
I’m an email subscriber!
I’m an e-mail subscriber. Yay!
I prefer charcoal. I’m not sure why. I guess it seems more traditional to me.
I use gas most of the time – easy since we have a direct hook-up to the gas-line from our house. Can’t beat charcoal for true bbq-ing… then, there’s the smoker that we are still trying to learn to use… now that’s amazing flavor!
Can’t beat the taste of charcoal!
Gas when in a hurry…charcoal when not!
Gas! My dad worked for the gas company growing up, so that was the only option. 😀
CHARCOAL! amazing smokey flavor!
Charcoal. It just makes food taste better. I love the smokey flavor that charcoal and wood bring to BBQ.
Love charcoal but you can’t control the heat and it’s a lot of work. We’ve since bought a propane Weber and haven’t regretted it!
Oops, sorry, meant Bobby FLAY, not Bobby Flays! My bad.
Gas because it’s what we have. Now if only we had a gas stove in the kitchen too!
If you ask me what is more convenient? I will tell you gas. If you ask me what tastes better? I will tell you charcoal. So, for BBQ aficianados, charcoal wins. But for fast, no-fuss grilling, you can’t go wrong with a good gas grill…even Bobby Flays uses one!
Charcoal, because it is what we have.
Both! We use gas for everyday cooking and do the charcoal/hickory chips thing for special holidays. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a big golden charcoal grilled turkey!
I love cooking on charcoal, but hate the mess, so gas it is!
Gas is quicker and you just cut it off. Done deal!!!
I think charcoal produces better flavor. In the old days, we used to light up the charcoal the traditional way. Burning up pieces of wood, not lighter fluid or anything. To me gas is just like cooking on the stove but we do use a gas grill with briquettes.
We do charcoal with one of the chimney starter things. Not bad to get the fire going, and the taste is so worth it. 🙂 I so want a BGE, though!
Gas – it takes too long to get the charcoal hot! Plus, it is much easier to control the cooking temp with gas.
Have been using a Weber propane but will be getting a BGE ASAP – I wondered why all the owners were fanatical – joined a forum and have learned a lot – so lump charcoal is the answer. Thanks for all the info.
It’s an imperfect world for some of us grillers and smokers. Charcoal is best; you can just not quite duplicate the flavor with gas. But I live in a townhome with a wooden deck, so charcoal also is a real fire hazard. So I make do with gas. Gas barbecue is better than none at all.
J finally got her BGE!!!!!!!!!! I knew you’d love it!
Charcoal! Lump charcoal. Of course Dr BBQ will agree because Ray knows how silly it would be to try to use the Egg with propane. Enter me in the contest, this is one I want. Ray is the shit in the world of the BGE. Plus his autographed book would go nicely with the one I just got from Chris Lilly.
Just in case Ray forgot to tell you about “burping” the egg and flashback, go read this:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/flash.htm
Heck, read the whiz’ whole site on ceramic cooking. It’s a treasure trove of tips, techniques, and recipes for cooking on a ceramic cooker like the Egg. It’s generally regarded as an authoritative source by Eggheads.
Welcome to the club, you are now an Egghead!
Jaden – I just recently found a Charbroil grill that someone was throwing away. I am not one for passing up a good BBQ body, so I got the truck, and picked er up! Now, the thing is that the burner is discontinued, and it is something to the tune of 80$ Can to get a new one. I say, whatever.
I ripped the old burner out of there, and put in a charcoal grate, then I used charcoal. You know what? I am NEVER going back to gas. Never. Okay, maybe as a bun warmer or something. No sense wasting charcoal on that!
Charcoal—I can’t afford a gas grill, thankyouverymuch.
We use propane for no other reason than our dads did. And it looks like we will not be switching because we think that something in the charcoal of our neighbors is setting off allergic reactions in our house.
So we use propane.
Plus it is easier…turn switch, light, cook, turn off, done.
We prefer Charcoal & Wood for better flavors. Thank you for offering this chance to win a cookbook, and the article from newspaper from Dr. BBQ was fantastic..
waa-waa, charcoal is not permitted in our bldg. So we are happy to have gas – better than nada.
Today is a kitchen practice day – we prefer Santa Maria-style BBQ – dry rub and sauce on the side. So today is “practice-sauce-day”.
Propane, because charcoal is difficult and messy and we’d end up with charcoal all over the lanai. Well, that’s what my husband said when I asked him.
Neither! Since purchasing a Treager, which smokes and/or grills using pellets–that’s the only way to go. No muss, no fuss and the taste is unbeatable. Can hardly wait to try Dr. BBQ’s ribs.
Charcoal, because I love the smell and taste of food from it. It reminds me of the meals we ate when camping as a child.
Welcome to charcoal. Welcome to the world of real bbq. Tell yourself that your going to master cooking luscious chunks of pork low and slow.
Once you’ve had a pitmaster, you’ll never go back….
gas because i am lazy!
Sorry, but I use wood on my New Braunfels Bandera Smoker. Mostly apple but sometimes oak. Seriously! Nothing beats the flavor of smoke and I get the added benefit of preserving the meat so I can “load ‘er up” and freeze the result.
When I am not (as) smoking (as Jaden) then I have to rely on propane It is fast to start, ready almost immediately, and with a decent grill, highly adjustable for a great number of applications.
And besides that, I don’t have nearly enough books from BBQ experts!
Charcoal! It just tastes better and really does not take that long to get to temp if done right.
Charcoal because it tastes better. And because gas feels like cheating. But I’m oh, so jealous when my neighbor pops on his propane grill and is cooking sixty seconds later.
Charcoal !
Because of it’s smell, of it’s annoying-ritual-soooooooo looooooooooong-traditionnal kindling ^^
I like the flavor of grilling over charcoal, but we grill quite often with our new gas grill. And occasionally we even use our smoker! I would say for flavor, charcoal tops the list, however!
digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net
Gas monday to friday and Charcoal in the weekends all year long
Eddy 😉
Charcoal when my husband is home and gas when he’s not because I suck at getting the charcoal going:)
We always use propane gas at our house, it’s nice because it doesn’t take up much space and it makes for fast grilling : )
amy
Charcoal for flavor–but I wish I had gas also for convenience. Is that cheating? Can I say both? 🙂 There are days I grill on my cooktop bc I cannot deal with waiting for the charcoal and running in/out of house….
Looks delish! I prefer charcoal, but I use gas because I am usually cooking for one and it seems too difficult and time consuming to light a charcoal grill for one burger. I’ve contemplated getting a charcoal grill for those time I’m cooking for others. This recipes brings me back to that thought.
Looks great, Thanks!
Oh Jaden, I can’t believe you were using propane! There is nothing that imparts the true taste of grilling as charcoal. And, I cannot tell you how long I have lusted after the Green Egg…no shit! I really have!!!
Charcoal, because it just tastes better. We have a Webber with a gas starter and a BGE. Hubs likes the Webber best. I love the BGE!
Gas – piped direct from the house, no pesky propane tank! We grill all year round, rain or shine. When we lived in Calgary we grilled even when it was -30C!!!!
We havea natural gaz BBQ directly plugged to the home. No more trips to the store to buy propane.
Those ribs looks to die for.
We do charcoal. I would like gas for the quick convenience….but we don’t have a gas grill.
Both! Charcoal has a better flavor, but gas is easier to use at the last minute. Normally I’m cooking for myself or a small number, so setting up a charcoal grill isn’t worth it. I used to swear by charcoal, but I’m going to the gas dark side…
Both, sort of, for me. I currently have my dear and lovely Weber kettle – charcoal with a propane ignition. I would love to have a small gas grill for little camping trips and for speedy days though – as long as I could still use some wood chips for smoke.
I dearly love grilling and nothing beats that char flavor though!
Charcoal for the weekend meals and gas for quick weeknight dinners. Both have their place in my yard
Gas – mainly because it means we can decide to grill dinner at the last minute and not wait for the coals to be ready.
If I ever escape from my high rise condominium life, I would definitely opt for charcoal. I just feel it has the authentic taste of bbq. One day I am going to experience the Big Green Egg! I just HAVE to. For now, I am relegated to the balcony to use an electric grill. I don’t clean it often so that it accumulates enough grease for a good flare! Shhhh, don’t tell the fire department, ok? Please.
I use gas: I have a “spanish” plancha! quick to be hot, quick to cook, and quick to clean! (more healthy too!)
Charcoal. Come on, it’s charcoal. If you’re grilling, it’s nice. If you’re smoking, it’s required. Just because.
I always grill with propane. it’s cleaner, cooks evenly, and doesn’t give off horrible carbon smoke.
Both! When we don’t have the time we use gas, when we do it’s charcoal.
I grew up on my grandpa and dad using gas grills. I can’t see myself using anything different (if I had a grill that is!). I think I’m too impatient for charcoal anyway. lol.
Gas but only because I’m not allowed to have anything else at my apartment! I’m a charcoal girl at heart.
charcoal always! it just gives the meat a better flavor.
Gas. Primarily because my wife won’t let me buy another grill when, “the one we have works fine.” I do see a big green egg in my future though.
For me it’s Bubba’s Keg Grill – bit.ly/S9iGq – essentially a Big Green Egg that fits on my trailer hitch . . . and it’s natural charcoal and chunks of fallen limbs from a 125 yoshino cherry tree I’ve been carrying around with me for over 10 years.
Gas – I have to be perfectly honest and say it’s because of the convenience and speed. Charcoal tastes good but….
It all depends on who is cooking. If it’s me I use gas just because it’s easier and cooks faster. If my husband is cooking it’s charcoal because he likes to smoke the meat and cook low and slow. I’m always looking for good BBQ recipes. Can’t wait to try this one.
Depends on what sort of BBQer you are. I prefer charcoal because you can have more control over where the heat is, and the flavor is much better. If you don’t want to mess with that, gas will get the job done.
Charcoal, lump or briquets is the way to go.
I’m really diggin’ the new Kingsford Competition Briquets too.
I plan to try Dr. BBQ’s rib recipe on my next rib cook in my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker for the win!
Charcoal. If using gas, I use the wood chips. Gas is the everyday cooking method. Charcoal is for weekends and holidays. Charcoal wins for the fullness of the flavor. And when using the smoker, lump charcoal, with some hickory. Or, depending, mesquite.
Gas or charcoal? Neither – don’t have a grill! Can I still get the book? 😛
The only thing we use is Cowboy Lump Charcoal. I don’t like gas cause it taste funny. I LOVE that good old fashion taste you get from low and slow grilling over charcoal. Also if you are using a fire pit it is HARD to use gas. We have an Egg, smoker,tailgater grill and fire pit. Cowboy Lump Charcoal with a touch of pecan or hickory chip for fancy grilling.
BOTH! but when I use gas it is always with wood chips. I also use one of those brinkman smokers for yum yum chickens or pork butts!
I will go with charcoal for a number of reasons…#1 charcoal reminds me of my childhood…happy carefree days when dad couldn’t get the charcoal to light & mom would douse it with lighter fluid…long story…good times….#2 I love the way charcoal grilling smells & tastes #3 I am terrified of gas :0
Charcoal: Barbecue “any meat broiled over an OPEN FIRE. (New World Dictionary) Once you wrap it in tin foil, etc., you’ve gone from barbecue to steamed!
Can’t say one OR the other as I use them both! Quick meals like burgers and dogs on the Weber Silver B and charcoal for the ribs in the pit!
Charcoal grilled tastes SO much better. But I’m a bad person and usually give in to the allure of a much easier setup and use propane.
charcoal. Only way to get that lovely char – the woodsy notes lend depth of flavor that you’ll never, ever get with gas.
Gas, only because I don’t know how to use charcoal, but I really want to learn how, and get a charcoal grill. Hoping I’ll win and your book will inspire me!
Gas:
1. Because that is what my husband uses
2. That is what my husband bought
3. Because we have gas grill we do not think of buying charcoal etc.
Does honestly count for extra entries? hehe
I certainly am looking forward to try out this bbq recipes. Although we’re in Winter, I’m craving for bbq right now. Perhaps, the baby-to-be is dribbling in the womb? hehehe… Thanks! I’ll let you know how mine turns up.