Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs

Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Show: Down Home with the NeelysEpisode: Sunday Supper

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (57)

Cook Time:
6 hr 15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 8 hr 0 min
Cook: 6 hr 15 min
Total:: 14 hr 25 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

Neely's Dry Rub:

1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
2 (about 4 pounds each) slabs beef spareribs
2 (about 3 pounds each) slabs pork spareribs
2 cups Neely's BBQ Dry Rub
Neely's BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Video: See how the Neelys make this recipe

For the rub:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

For the ribs:

Rinse and dry ribs. Place on a clean cutting board and pull off the membrane, the thin fatty skin that lines the underside of the ribs. Trim the ribs of excess fat and meat. Liberally season both sides of the ribs with 1/4 to 1/2 cup Neely's BBQ Rub. Wrap ribs and refrigerate for at least 8 hours so flavors can permeate.

Preheat grill to 250 degrees F. using hickory and charcoal.

Use indirect heat and cook with the cover down.

Place ribs, meatier side down, on the grill away from the coals. Cook beef 2 hours, adding more coals as needed. Turn and cook for 45 minutes more, or until the ribs "bend" and the meat easily separates from the bone using a fork. Cook the pork ribs 3 hours. Turn and cook another hour, or until ribs bend. Remove from grill.

For dry ribs: Sprinkle extra Neely's BBQ seasoning over ribs, cut bones and serve.

For wet ribs: Coat ribs with Neely's BBQ sauce, cut and serve.

Neely's BBQ Sauce:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cooked uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Bbq Beef Short Ribs

Picture of Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs Recipe

Photo: Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-9 of 9

View all 9 Grilling Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
Tiffany Rochester, NY 10-19-2009
Flag

Great
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Who cares what people think the rub was great. Because we have smaller childern we we did not use sauce. But to be honest you... really did not need the sauce if you follow the recipe CORRECTLY and let them sit for some time they turn out great. Thank You Neelys the Harrell Family loves this recipe. .Read more
recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
Nathan East Ridget, TN 09-19-2009
Flag

Sugar In A Rub????
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

Hate to say it but a true Memphis style rub doesnt contain sugar....especially white sugar....I've heard of using brown sugar... to counter the spiciness of maybe the cayenne but not white sugar....sorryRead more
recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
jon Victoria, BC 09-03-2009
Flag

great taste
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I boiled the ribs for 1.5 hours then let them sit in the BBQ sauce before BBQing another 2 hours on low.
recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
MY Oakland, CA 08-17-2009
Flag

happy family
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

if recipes got any easier, then i'd be cooking a lot more often. this recipe was such an ease! i made only the pork rib.. the... dry rub! yum... it really gives it a robust smoky yummy barbeque taste. plus i had the dry rub rubbed in well over 12 hours so that probably helped too.. i didn't follow it to the tee with the temperature... since i was going with a smaller grill, i used a makeshift indirect grill, but still used hickory chips and charcoal. my first attempt at making smoked bbq ribs was a success thanks to this recipe... the colors came out wonderful and the flavors were fantabulous.Read more
recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
Brett Suwanee, GA 08-16-2009
Flag

Mmmm Mmmm So Good, It will make you slap your mamma!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Headline stolen from the Neely's themselves.. I just got done making these for the 2nd time and felt compelled to write my... first ever review on FN.com. Delicious! Awesome! Best ribs ever! I made them with baby back ribs and followed the directions and video exactly (almost). I cooked them on indirect heat on a big Weber gas grill with smoker. I used hickory chips and cooked at 250 for a total of 4 hours. 3 hours I cooked with full smoke meaty side down. The last 45 minutes I cooked them wrapped in heavy duty foil. The last 15-20 minutes, I brushed the ribs with sauce and put the last batch of wood in the smoker. Fantastic! The entire family loves them!Read more
recipe Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
Vicki Elkton, MD 08-09-2009
Flag

YUMMY!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Smoked the ribs with Hickory on our gas grill. I created a pocket from heavy duty foil and placed hickory pellets in it with... one tiny hole to let the smoke release into the ribs. The ribs were on the other side of the grill, away from heat. I would leave the ribs in for another hour, but they were good with the 4 hour total. I also added a little cayenne to the dry rub and brown sugar, instead of white sugar. Great barb sauce!! This is a winner!Read more