Grilled Pork Ribs with Sweet Peppers and Coleslaw
- Savory
- No rush
- Barbecue
Ribs grilled low over indirect heat, then glazed with a sticky brown sugar and barbecue sauce reduction until they shine. Sweet peppers cook alongside and a cool coleslaw balances the plate.
- Total
- 1 h 35
- Prep 20 · Cook 65 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Grilling · Resting meat
Instructions
-
Pat the pork ribs dry and cut them into 3-rib sections so they fit the barbecue. Season all over with 1.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
~10 min
Drying the surface helps the seasoning cling and lets the meat brown rather than steam once it hits the heat.
-
Light the barbecue and set it for indirect heat: coals banked to one side, or burners on one side only, with the lid on. You want a medium-low zone around 150°C.
~15 min
Indirect heat cooks ribs gently and evenly, so the collagen breaks down into gelatin before the outside burns.
Grilling Set up two heat zones and keep the lid on for indirect cooking. Watch for the meat pulling back from the bone and char marks on the peppers, not flames.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the barbecue heats, peel and finely grate the garlic cloves into a small bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and barbecue sauce to make a sticky glaze.
~5 min
-
Lay the ribs bone-side down on the cooler side of the barbecue, cover, and cook until the meat pulls back from the bone and reaches 88°C at the thickest part, turning once halfway.
~50 min
Holding the ribs near 88°C melts tough collagen into soft gelatin, which is what makes the meat tender and pull cleanly from the bone.
If your ribs are thicker than 3 cm, give them 10 to 15 extra minutes on the cool side and check the temperature again rather than turning up the heat.
Grilling Set up two heat zones and keep the lid on for indirect cooking. Watch for the meat pulling back from the bone and char marks on the peppers, not flames.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the ribs cook, halve and deseed the bell peppers, cut them into 3 cm pieces, and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill them over the hot side for 4 minutes per side until charred and tender, then set aside.
~8 min
Direct high heat chars the pepper skins for sweetness and smoky flavor while the flesh stays tender.
Grilling Set up two heat zones and keep the lid on for indirect cooking. Watch for the meat pulling back from the bone and char marks on the peppers, not flames.
-
Brush the ribs all over with the glaze and move them over the hot side for 2 minutes per side until sticky and lightly charred, brushing once more. Watch closely so the sugar does not burn.
~4 min
The sugar in the glaze caramelizes over direct heat, turning sticky and glossy, but it scorches fast, so it goes on only at the end.
Brush the glaze on only at the end: brown sugar scorches in minutes over direct heat, so keep the ribs on the cool side until they are nearly done.
Grilling Set up two heat zones and keep the lid on for indirect cooking. Watch for the meat pulling back from the bone and char marks on the peppers, not flames.
-
Rest the glazed ribs on a board for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones. Serve with the grilled peppers and the coleslaw alongside.
~10 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute through the meat so they stay in the ribs instead of running out onto the board.
Resting meat Rest the ribs loosely covered for 10 minutes before slicing so the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out.
