By Justin Vance ( who will be a pit master , in future!) Guest Post
I’m just a kid from South Memphis, barely out of high school, but I already know what I want to be: a pitmaster. Not just someone who can grill a burger at a backyard cookout—but someone who knows smoke, fire, and time the way a musician knows rhythm. Someone who can make ribs that stop conversations. Someone like my grandpa.
Granddad has been tending pits for longer than I’ve been alive. He doesn’t measure anything. He just rubs, feels, tastes, and somehow always nails it. And if there’s one dish he says separates the real from the pretend in Memphis barbecue, it’s Dry Ribs.
Forget the sauced-up baby backs you might find in Kansas City or your local chain joint. Here in Memphis, real ribs come dry—rubbed down with paprika, garlic, cayenne, and love, then smoked low and slow until the meat whispers off the bone. No sticky fingers. No pool of sauce. Just bold flavor, deep smoke, and the crispy bark that pit dreams are made of.
Here’s everything I’ve learned so far.
What Makes Memphis Dry Ribs Unique?
- No sauce: The ribs aren’t glazed—they’re coated in a dry rub before smoking, and again right before serving.
- Pork first: Memphis barbecue is pork barbecue, period. Ribs are usually spare ribs or St. Louis cut.
- Signature dry rub: A deep-red blend of paprika, garlic, black pepper, and cayenne that builds flavor and heat without drowning the pork.
- Smoke + bark: Slow-smoking with hickory or fruit wood creates a bark—a crispy, flavorful crust that carries the rub’s magic.
Ingredients
For the Dry Rub (makes enough for 2 racks)
- 1/4 cup sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
For the Ribs
- 2 full racks of St. Louis-style pork ribs (or spare ribs, trimmed)
- Yellow mustard (for binding)
- Wood chips: hickory, apple, or cherry
Equipment
- Smoker or charcoal grill set up for indirect heat
- Water pan (for moisture control)
- Aluminum foil
- Meat thermometer (optional, but grandpa says real pitmasters “cook by feel”)
Step-by-Step Recipe
Step 1: Prep the Ribs
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Slip a butter knife under it, grab with a paper towel, and peel it off.
- Lightly coat the ribs with yellow mustard to help the rub stick.
- Apply a generous layer of dry rub all over the ribs—front, back, and sides. Don’t be shy.
Grandpa says, “If you think you’ve rubbed enough, do it one more time.”
- Let the ribs sit for 30–60 minutes at room temp while you fire up the smoker.
Step 2: Set Up the Smoker
- Heat your smoker or grill to 225–250°F.
- Set up for indirect heat—coals or burners on one side, meat on the other.
- Place a water pan under the grill grates to keep humidity high.
- Add a few chunks of hickory or fruit wood to the coals or smoker box.
Step 3: Smoke Low and Slow
- Place the ribs bone side down on the grate.
- Close the lid and don’t peek—every time you open the lid, you lose heat and smoke.
- Smoke for 5 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the ribs.
You can follow a general time guide:
- First 3 hours: Leave ribs alone.
- Hours 3–5: Spritz ribs every 30–45 minutes with apple juice, cider vinegar, or water.
- At hour 5: Check for tenderness. Bones should poke out slightly and the meat should bend easily.
Step 4: The “Memphis Magic” Finishing Move
Here’s what sets Memphis Dry Ribs apart:
- Just before serving, give the ribs one more dusting of dry rub—right on top of the bark.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones.
The extra hit of dry rub at the end brings all the spices back to life, especially the paprika and cayenne.
Tips I’ve Learned from Grandpa
- Smoke trumps sugar: A lot of folks overload the rub with brown sugar. Grandpa says let the smoke be the sweetness and use sugar in moderation.
- Rub twice, not once: One layer before smoking, another just before serving.
- No foil wraps: In Memphis dry rib tradition, you skip the Texas-style “crutch.” No foiling, no steaming—just real bark.
- Cook to feel: When the ribs bend like a bow and start to crack, they’re done. Don’t rely just on time or temperature.
I’m still learning, still burning my hands, still getting corrected by grandpa every other step. But when I get it right—when the ribs come off the smoker with that deep red crust, bend just right, and leave a smoky trail in the air—I feel like I’m on my way.
Memphis dry ribs aren’t about shortcuts. They’re about patience, pride, and respecting the craft. And someday, if I keep doing this right, maybe I’ll earn the title of pitmaster for real.
But until then, I’ll be right here beside the smoker, rub in hand, learning from the best.
