Apart from camping, fishing and other outdoor leisure, one of the most striking things in Australia is the BBQ culture. You can argue that it’s also true for the rest of the world, but in here, firing up the barbie on good sunny days is a little bit special. It’s not just for the sake of having a good meal, it’s more like a celebration for just about anything — even if there’s really nothing to celebrate at all.
That said, I have been grilling for about 5 years now. I am not the best at it but I got a few tricks under my sleeve. I love making crispy pork rashers on coal with nothing but salt on it. Very simple, I’ve done it a thousand times on my almost 4 years old, $25 charcoal grill. For that purpose, that grill is fine, it does the job, I know it like the back of my hand. Last Christmas though, I thought I needed a new toy — because why not?
BBQ Wars
Before we start (yes, we haven’t started yet 😀 ), let me just show you my OG BBQ grill. It doesn’t have a name but this guy’s a legend in it’s own right. Inevitable as it is, I’d feel bad when I finally have to put it outside for hard rubbish collection.
Yup, that’s the undisputed champ right there — handle was long gone, cover is about to fall off, but it’s still going to rock those pork bellies like a boss. Problem is, here comes a new challenger. And it looks like it’s on steroids. USADA help!
Lo and behold, the Weber Spirit E-310.
Okay it’s not like it’s the alpha of all the BBQs, it’s not the latest model or anything. Let’s just say, there are cheaper (and good) options in the market, but I got this one for a very good deal — an offer I can’t refuse.
Anyway, let’s get cookin’!
Easy BBQ Pork Ribs Recipe
For my very first shot at this, I choose the Sweet and Spicy BBQ Pork Ribs from the Weber cookbook. Yes, the big guy comes with a recipe book and some instructions on the different modes and temperatures for different cooking methods e.g. slow, smoke, roast, etc. Interesting. And pretty handy for beginners like me.
If you want, you can find the full recipe here.
So I have all my ingredients, mixed the spices up all together, rubbed it on the pork ribs and this is what we get:
After chucking in the meat, we should wait for 4 hours before we start basting it with some BBQ sauce. As far as I know, it’s best to leave it closed for the whole duration as we don’t want to lose any heat. I couldn’t help it though, I had to check on the 1st hour, then 2.5 hours. I have trust issues with cookbooks. 😀
Basting
This recipe has two parts, and the second part is for the basting. I didn’t want to go through all that trouble so I looked for some BBQ sauce in the grocery shop. Weber’s recipe has Jack Daniel’s in it so the closest thing I can find is this Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon — I’m no chef but maybe this is the closest thing.
After 4 hours, we are ready to baste for the next hour, every 20 mins.
The Verdict
After nearly 5 hours, we can finally eat. Firstly, it smells so good. Or maybe I’m just hungry. The taste, I love it. It’s not perfect though. You see, when it comes to pork ribs, my gold standard is the Ribs & Burgers Baby Back Ribs. That thing is so tender, like, the melts-in-your-mouth tender, as they say. Not dissing the Weber Cookbook but this one is dry and I reckon it’s got to do with my process, not the ingredients. With that, I’ll have to make some adjustments. I have some promising methods and techniques in mind.
So Dear Ribs & Burgers, either you give me your recipe or I’ll figure it out and share it to my 80 IG followers, 40 in WordPress and around 200 in FB (give or take). That’s a threat if it isn’t obvious. 😀
Anyway, for the outcome, I’d say it’s not bad for a first time. For the Weber grill, there are definitely things to learn — modes, techniques, timings and temperatures. BBQ is an art (let’s just put it that way because I’m no good with a canvass and brush) so perfecting techniques is definitely the best part, getting to eat is just a plus. Just kidding, nothing beats the eating part. 😉
See you on the next.. backyard adventure? That will work for now.
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