Everyone wants to put their own spin on grilling various meats. When it comes to ribs, a hotly debated topic is whether to boil ribs or not before grilling them. There are valid arguments for and against it.
Yet when it comes to making the best ribs you possibly can, boiling shouldn’t be anywhere near the conversation. Here’s why.
Why Do People Boil Ribs?
Let’s get one thing straight. There are many ways to cook ribs. Whatever methods result in quality ribs are considered good. But when it comes to boiling, lots of people remain unconvinced. Here’s why.
People tend to boil ribs first and then quickly grill them to finish them off in order to expedite the cooking process. Traditionally, ribs are cooked slow because slow cooking them helps tenderize the meat, while also enhancing the flavor.
Not everyone has hours to wait before their ribs cook. Hence why many prefer boiling or parboiling their ribs.
There’s a Big Difference in Cooking Time
When choosing this method, it can take about one hour to boil the ribs until they become tender. After that, they may only need up to 15 minutes on the grill until they’re done and ready to serve.
It’s an appealing process if you want to serve quickly. There’s also no denying the fact that boiling ribs first does tenderize the meat very well. You get that fall-off-the-bone type of meat that’s easy to chew.
Another Reason Why People Boil Ribs is Because They’re Scared. They want to make sure that their ribs are done all the way through. Boiling before cooking ensures this.
For Some, it’s a Matter of Not Having The Right Tools – a Good Grill or a Smoker. When you want ribs, but you have no means of smoking them, boiling seems like the only answer.
Yet there are some serious problems with this method. And this isn’t just a stubborn perspective of barbecuing purists. It’s a meat fact when it comes to loss of flavor.
Loss of Flavor
Those that boil ribs prior to grilling them swear that they can infuse plenty of flavor. It is doable but it’s far from the same flavor as smoking the ribs slowly and then grilling them. Or simply grilling them for hours over indirect heat.
Boiling the ribs causes loss of flavor. Not all the flavor, mind you, but more than enough. This is something very easy to test. After you boil ribs for about one hour in water, the water becomes a broth.
It’s packed with flavor and can be used in other recipes. All that flavor is gone from the ribs. This happens because the rendered fat essentially adds flavor to the water and not the ribs.
Of course, people who precook ribs this way also add vegetables and spices to the water. But all that seasoning doesn’t really go into the meat.
Consider the following situations. Raw ribs placed in water, boiled for an hour, versus ribs slapped on the grill after being marinated and absorbing spices, overnight.
The latter does more to infuse the ribs with flavor as well as maintain their juiciness after they’ve been grilled.
The Purist Way of Cooking Ribs
If you have a smoker, you can smoke your ribs for a couple of hours before finishing them off on the grill. What this does is slowly render the fat and connective tissues in the meat. But this method ensures that the fat doesn’t just wither away or gets transferred into a pot of water.
It renders inside the meat releasing the natural juices. At the same time, it prevents those juices from escaping.
To finish off ribs, you can place them on the grill after putting some more BBQ sauce on them. Putting sauce on the ribs prior to grilling isn’t just for flavor — it also provides enough moisture so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
This step is also important if you want glossy ribs that look more appetizing.
When you don’t have access to a smoker, a regular covered grill will also do the trick. However, it’s very important that you use indirect heat to grill the ribs. There’s not enough meat on the bone to do this over high heat without drying the meat.
Move your wood or coals to one side of the grill and place the ribs in the opposite side. Close the lid on the grill and let them cook for about two to three hours before checking them. The more often you check the more heat and smoke you release.
This means that you lose a bit of flavor and increase the cooking time. Of course, developing this level of confidence to not check, will take a few tries on your part.
Boiling First vs. Straight Grilling – Difference in Time
As previously mentioned, it takes about one hour to boil ribs before they’re ready for the grill. That’s without counting the extra two to three minutes of simmering which helps release some of the fat (foam).
How much longer do the ribs need after that? No more than 15 minutes or so on the grill. You can essentially have ribs on everyone’s plate in one-and-a-half hours. Therefore, it’s fast and it’s convenient.
The purist way of doing things calls for at least about four hours or so of grilling over indirect heat. Another way of doing it is smoking the ribs for five hours and then grilling them to finish them off.
The difference in cooking time is huge. Yet, both methods result in tender ribs. Increasing the smoking time tenderizes the meat even more. So it’s possible to smoke and grill ribs until even your grandma can easily chew the meat off the bone.
So is it better to boil them before cooking? Not if you want maximum flavor, since boiling first doesn’t make ribs tenderer than properly smoking them.
Boiled Recipe vs. Purist Recipes – Taste the Difference Yourself
Boiled Ribs Recipe
Cover ribs with cold water in a pot and bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about three minutes while skimming the foam. Rinse the ribs under cold water then cover them again and bring to a boil.
Add vegetables to infuse more flavor into your ribs – onions, garlic, celery, and spices too. Once the water starts boiling, reduce again to a simmer and let everything cook for one hour. This is enough to tenderize the meat.
Take your ribs out of the water. Season them with your favorite rub and brush the ribs with BBQ sauce. Place them on a preheated grill. The ribs need medium heat when using this method. Turn the ribs quite frequently and be sure to brush with more sauce when needed.
Once you see good char marks they should be done. Over the right temperature, 15 minutes of grilling should be enough.
A Purist Recipe
There’s no right way or wrong way of seasoning your ribs. Some prefer a dry rub while others prefer a marinade. Some pitmasters use both techniques to ensure even more flavor and more moisture retention.
Put your ribs in the smoker for five to six hours. A temperature of at least 180° is necessary. Afterwards, brush the ribs with BBQ sauce and place them on the grill until you get nice char marks and a glossy finish.
The 3-2-1 Method
Although this involves some braising, it’s also considered a traditional and “correct” way of cooking ribs. The 3-2-1 method indicates three cooking methods and the total amount of hours.
The first step is smoking the ribs for three hours at up to 200° over indirect heat. The second step is braising the ribs. This is done by wrapping the ribs in aluminum foil before returning them to the grill.
After smoking, put the ribs in aluminum foil and add more seasoning, butter, brown sugar, and preferably apple cider. Wrap them tightly and place them back on the grill. Raise the temperature to 225° and let them braise for two hours.
The final step involves draining the ribs of all that excess liquid. Brush your BBQ sauce on the ribs and place them directly on the grill, bone side down. Maintain the 225° temperature for one more hour.
During this process, there’s no need to check the ribs or to add more BBQ sauce.
Prepping Your Ribs
There are some things you should always do when prepping your ribs for the grill.
- Always remove the membrane in order to allow the spices to penetrate the meat
- Marinate your ribs to ensure they have enough moisture and don’t dry out
- Always use a dry rub, regardless of whether you like finishing them off with sauce
- Never forget about the brown sugar for flavor, tenderizing, and aesthetic purposes
- Take your time with your ribs as cooking them is a marathon not a sprint
Boiling Ribs – An Easy Way Out with Mixed Results
Does boiling help tenderize the meat and help put cooked ribs on your plate in record time? Yes, it does. But that loss of flavor just isn’t worth it – if you’ve had properly smoked ribs before, you’ll immediately tell the difference.
There’s a very good reason why pitmasters all over the world will laugh at you for even suggest boiling ribs instead of straight smoking them or using the 3-2-1 method. Boiling is cheating, and also cheating you of that unique smoky flavor.