BBQ ribs are a mainstay of backyards everywhere. Mine included. Now while I love to smoke ribs on my Weber Performer and Weber Smokey Mountain, there is one more, perhaps even surprising, addition to this list: the rotisserie on my Weber Summit Grill Center.
When I say “ribs for dinner,” it immediately conjures to mind messy fingers, faces smeared with BBQ sauce, and a complete lack of paper towels within lunging distance. As the feast gets devoured at the patio table, the kettle in the distance cools down and lets loose its last hint of apple wood nestled within the dying coals. It’s a full body experience.
Even though ribs almost always mean tangy sauce, sweet smoke, with low and slow charcoal heat, what if we did the total opposite? No sauce, no smoke, and the spinning rotisserie action of a gas grill. Would it work? Would it compare? My answer to both of those simple questions: a resounding yes!
The self-basting action of the rotisserie takes ribs to a different level.
Dare I say, it is one of my Dad’s favorite preparations. Besides the rotisserie ribs mouthwatering taste, there is something inherently cool about threading on two racks of ribs to my rotisserie spit and parading it around the backyard like it’s a trophy. It says something when the preparation is as much as fun as the meal itself.
Don’t let the lack of a sauce fool you. While I still season the ribs with a healthy dose of salt and pepper, I follow up with 1 cup of freshly chopped herbs I evenly divide between two racks. Basil, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, any and all will work.
Set the grill for indirect low heat with the two outside burners on low. Shoot for a grill temperature of 250 F. With the rotisserie set up, spin the ribs for about three hours. During the last half hour, I like to brush the ribs with a garlic infused olive oil. It’s a great send off before the ribs are removed from the grill and placed on the dinner table.
Next time ribs are on your menu try something different and give them a spin!
