Get the best boneless country-style ribs ever, Memphis style, with these easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. Try these moist and tasty grilled boneless ribs today.
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๐Why you will love this recipe
- This recipe has the tasty classic sweet heat of Memphis BBQ.
- Country-style pork ribs are a perfect "for two" meat due to their size.
- Boneless ribs are tender and moist, but the brine brings extra moisture to these grilled ribs.
- An easy grilled dinner with great flavor.
- Combine it will Memphis BBQ Sauce for a wonderful tasting experience. I can taste Memphis just reading this.
๐Ingredients
- Country-style boneless pork ribs
- Memphis Dry Rubโpaprika, brown sugar, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
- Optional brineโsalt, brown sugar
๐จโ๐ณHow to Grill Memphis Boneless Pork Ribs
- Trim ribs of any fat cap and deepen the preexisting cross cuts.
- Do optional brine if you have time.
- Mix my suggested dry rub. Eliminate the salt if you did the brine.
- Apply the rub and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450ยฐ
- Place over direct heat, flip about every 5 minutes, and grill until an internal temperature of about 145ยฐ-150ยฐโabout 20 minutes.
- During the last few minutes of grilling, you may wish to brush with the sauce of your choice.
๐งBrining country-style boneless pork ribs
The brine is optional but highly recommended. Brining the ribs will help prevent most of the dryness associated with lean pork. This is a standard brine for ribs, pork tenderloin, or pork chops.
Use 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Be sure the brine covers the ribs. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours, then rinse well under running water before proceeding. Also, leave the salt out of any rub or seasoning.
Related Posts
Guide to Grill Temperature- Always get the right grill temperature.
Boneless Pork Ribs on the Grill - My complete guide to grill this cut of meat.
Memphis Barbecue Sauce - The best BBQ Sauce for this recipe.
โFAQs
No, they are different cuts. The bone-in variety is cut from the area between the pork loin and the Boston butt. It is generally a mixture of various muscles and some bones from the butt area. It is fatty and should usually be cooked low and slow, like pork butt.
The boneless variety is from the other end of the pork loin. It is the skinny tail of the loin, cut in half the long way and then scored into rib sections across the grain. So it is a pork chop in a different shape. So they are lean and should be cooked quickly, and brining them can help with any dryness.
The minimum safe internal temperature for boneless ribs is 145ยฐ, according to the USDA. It is the same for any pork that is not ground.
Leftovers should be sealed airtight and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3 months.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Trim ribs of any fat cap and cut the preexisting cross cuts about ยพ of the way through.
The brine is optional but highly recommended. Use 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours, then rinse well under running water before proceeding. Also, leave the salt out of the Memphis Rub.
Mix the Memphis Dry Rub: 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon chili powder, ยผ-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ยฝ teaspoon dry mustard, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, and ยฝ teaspoon onion powder. Leave the salt out if you brine.
Rub both sides and groves with the rub. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours, but overnight is fine.
Rest at room temp while you preheat the grill to 450ยฐ-500ยฐ surface temperature. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Place over direct heat and close the lid. Flip about every 5 minutes and grill until an internal temperature of about 145ยฐ-150ยฐโabout 20 minutes, depending on the grill and the thickness of the meat.
In the last few minutes of grilling, you may wish to brush with the sauce of your choice. Rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
๐ Recipe
Grilled Memphis Boneless Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 slab country style boneless pork ribs
Memphis Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon chili powder
- ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon dry mustard
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Optional Brine
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Trim ribs of any fat cap and cut the preexisting cross cuts about ยพ of the way through.
- The brine is optional but highly recommended. Use 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours, then rinse well under running water before proceeding. Also, leave the salt out of the Memphis Rub.
- Mix the Memphis Dry Rub: 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon chili powder, ยผ-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ยฝ teaspoon dry mustard, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, and ยฝ teaspoon onion powder. Leave the salt out if you brine.
- Rub both sides and groves with the rub. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours, but overnight is fine.
- Rest at room temp while you preheat the grill to 450ยฐ-500ยฐ surface temperature. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Place over direct heat and close the lid. Flip about every 5 minutes and grill until an internal temperature of about 145ยฐ-150ยฐโabout 20 minutes, depending on the grill and the thickness of the meat.
- In the last few minutes of grilling, you may wish to brush with the sauce of your choice. Rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Deepen the cuts on the slab of ribs to increase the surface area for rub.
- Get the grill surface temperature correct.
- The brine is optional but highly recommended.
- DO NOT confuse the boneless version with the bone-in version of country ribs. The are totally different and not cooked the same.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published April 14, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Dan Mikesell says
Ok, first the recipe. Wow what happened here... My excuse... this recipe as been edited several times with the addition of print buttons, Ziplist, rich snippets etc... Part the the original recipe is missing. Just gone. I have replace it with that I do now. The current Memphis rub is much better anyways, less sweet and just tastier. I have used it like this and it is really good.
Now the meat discussion. This recipe is written for what in the midwest is call "boneless country style pork ribs" they are not really ribs but the tail end of a pork loin that is cut in half and then scored into "ribs". It is generally more marbled than pork loin and does really well with this sort of recipe. This are not related to "bone in" country style pork ribs which are cut from the pork shoulder area and if cooked rapidly like this would be a disaster. These (the bone in) need the low and slow cooking of normal ribs (baby back etc)
The "Never Boil Ribs" applies to all ribs of any type and to this type of "ribs"also. "Parboil" is meat abuse.
Now the question of what is in your refrigerator... hammmm I don' know for sure. I'm unaware of any other type of boneless pork rib but if it doesn't look like the picture, call your butcher and ask what it is.
Dr Grillstein says
All absolutely correct. I'm making them today. I never low and slow these. I did however marinate them in a "wet" mesquite for a little over 24 hours. They will cook about twenty minutes on a medium high gas grill. We agree with the " great for two" comment. The wife and I find these portions perfect. They are simple and full of flavor. Since it is spring and the asparagus is excellent right now I'll grill some of those as well. Along with a side of black beans and rice we are good to go!
DrDan says
Hi Doc,
I do more wet rubs/marinades anymore. They seem to add a lot of flavors and almost act like a brine to some extent.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Sarah says
In the picture, it shows ground mustard and paprika, however, I don't see it anywhere in the actual recipe. Was the picture from a different recipe?
Also, after reading your "Never Boil Ribs" comment regarding "boneless ribs", I'm now confused as to what kind of cut of meat I have in my fridge. How do I tell the boneless ribs apart, as I really don't want to eat hockey puck-esque ribs.
Michael Russo says
I see some recipes saying boil them for an hour then another couple hours on grill??? How is that possible
Dan Mikesell says
Let's see how to say this... NEVER BOIL RIBS... yep that worked. You will find older recipes for "real" ribs like baby backs that call for boiling. This should never be done. Low and slow is how to cook them.
For there "boneless ribs" which are really the tail end of the pork loin so they are not really "ribs". Low and slow on a grill makes hockey pucks here. They are lean and should be cooked faster and a brine is always good. You can cook them slow in a "moist" method like sealed foil but not on a grill for several hours.
Dr Dan says
The confusion (I believe) is that there are two cuts called country style pork ribs. There are from the butt (shoulder) end of the loin and are scored to make serving portions. The others are from the butt(shoulder or Boston Butt) area itself and are either with or without bone. I have never seen them in a slab. The loin type always comes this way. Very odd.
Chris says
I've never seen a whole country style rib before, they've already been portioned when you get them around here. That's the same thing as a pork collar isn't it?
Dr Dan says
Thanks. This cut is a great "cooking for two" cut. For you readers out there. Mary's blog is absolutely wonderful. If you ever need an idea for what to cook or how, she is a complete reference. Check it out in the blog list.
Mary at Deep South Dish says
Fine looking ribs Dr. Dan!