A market find for the grill

These spare ribs came from the farmers market. We cooked them at 275°F for about three hours, then photographed the finished rack before slicing. The dark edges and glossy sauce coating are visible in the original photos.

The sauce pictured is Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold Lager BBQ Sauce. The bottle adds a familiar Cleveland name to this outdoor dinner. We have kept the original label visible so you can see exactly which sauce was used.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold Lager BBQ Sauce bottle beside the finished spare ribs
The sauce bottle and finished rack from our cook.

From our grill

A silent, captioned teaser using our original grill footage.

Watch the rack, as well as the clock

Three hours is the time reported for this batch, rather than a promise for every rack. Thickness and the steadiness of the heat can change the cook. Check the meat between the bones and continue cooking if it still feels firm.

Seasoned ribs held in a grill basket over a foil pan inside the grill
A still from our original grill footage.

Cooking notes: 275°F spare ribs

Temperature275°F
Our cookAbout 3 hours
Yield1 rack

Equipment: covered grill set up for indirect heat, tongs, barbecue brush, thermometer, cutting board and knife.

Temperature, cooking time, the market source and sauce are firsthand details. The preparation and finishing directions below are practical guidance; exact rack weight, seasoning quantities, sauce timing and wrapping details were not supplied.

Ingredients

  • 1 rack pork spare ribs from the farmers market
  • Your preferred barbecue seasoning, to taste
  • Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold Lager BBQ Sauce, enough to brush over the rack

Method

  1. Heat a covered grill for indirect cooking at 275°F. Keep the ribs away from direct flame. An oven at the same temperature is an alternative, although the photographed batch was cooked outdoors.
  2. Prepare the rack as needed and season to taste. The exact rub and quantities used for our batch were not recorded.
  3. Cook at 275°F for about 3 hours, keeping the heat steady. This was our cooking time; start checking near the end and allow extra time if the meat still resists a probe.
  4. Brush with barbecue sauce toward the end of cooking and let the coating set without scorching. Our photos show Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold Lager BBQ Sauce; the exact sauce timing was not recorded.
  5. Check doneness with a thermometer in the meat, avoiding bone. Whole-cut pork must reach at least 145°F with a 3-minute rest for safety. Ribs may need more cooking for tenderness. Rest before slicing between the bones.

USDA safe minimum temperature guidance. A safe minimum temperature and the tenderness you want are separate checks.

Make it a barbecue dinner

Serve with coleslaw, corn or a simple green salad. For another outdoor cook, see our smoked beef plate short ribs. Finish with grilled peaches with honey butter and French vanilla ice cream.

Leftovers and ingredient labels

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours, or within one hour above 90°F. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. See USDA leftover guidance.

Check the sauce and seasoning labels for allergens. The pictured sauce is lager-based; do not assume it is gluten-free or alcohol-free. Another barbecue sauce can be used to suit your household.