Bone-In Country-Style Ribs on the Grill (or in your oven) is an inexpensive fall-off-the-bone easy BBQ dinner with fantastic bark from your favorite dry rub and tender meat cooked low and slow.
🐖Ingredients
Bone-in Country Style Ribs—not boneless
BBQ Dry Rub
Wood chips—for smoking
BBQ sauce
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Bone-in country-style ribs are cut from the junction of pork butt and loin, they are often confused with their boneless name-sake, but other than confusing people with the names, they have nothing in common and pity the poor cook who gets confused. One is lean (the boneless), and one is full of fat and connective tissue (bone-in).
Cook them like pork butt, starting with a dry rub, then indirect long-and-slow grilling using an endpoint of 200° plus for moist and tender results.
👨🍳How to Cook Bone-in Country Style Ribs on the Grill—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. You can use the dry rub of your choice. I have included my standard pork dry rub in the recipe card.
2. Give the ribs a nice coat of rub on all sides. (Make sure you are using bone-in ribs, not boneless.)
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours if you have time.
4. Set up your grill for low-and-slow cooking while smoking at 250° in an indirect heat area. See How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking if you need help.
5. Add the wood chips to a smoker box a few minutes before the meat goes on. You can use a foil pack of wood chips instead.
6. Place the pork on the indirect side.
7. Flip about every 60 minutes until an internal temp of 200°-205*. The flipping may not be needed, but it makes me feel better.
8. Move to a plate and cover with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to grill bone-in country-style ribs
In 250° indirect heat, about 2½ to 3 hours. This will vary by the thickness of the ribs and the exact grill temperature. You should always cook to a final internal temperature of 200° to 205° and never by time or color.
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✔️Tips and 0ptions
I have set the recipe for two ribs (two servings), but you and make any number you want.
If you have a pork rub you like, use it. Most people will not, so I provided a version of my 8:3:1:1 BBQ Dry Rub. You could also use Memphis BBQ Dry Rub or Chipotle Dry Rub.
You can use a cooking temperature anywhere between 225° and 300° if you pay attention to the final internal temperature since the cooking time will differ.
Indirect grilling with smoking is best for bone-in country-style ribs. If you know how to set your grill up for this, great. But I have a detailed post, How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking, which covers all the details.
A charcoal grill may be used, but you need to control the grill temperature, which is much harder on a charcoal grill.
The wood chips for smoking are optional. Choose the type of your choice. I prefer hickory. Soaking in water is not needed. I suggest 20 to 60 minutes of smoke.
♨️Oven instructions
Give the ribs a coat of good-quality liquid smoke before the rub. This is optional, but if used, the quality of the liquid smoke is critical. I use only Wright's™ brand. There are ways to smoke in the oven, but not for most home cooks. Alternatively, skip the liquid smoke.
Use a baking tray with foil on the sides to help clean up and a rack to keep the meat out of the melted fat. Apply a heavy coat of PAM cooking spray, but do not cover it in the oven.
The cooking time and temperature will be approximately the same as the grill—about 2½ to 3 hours at 250°. Cook to a final internal temperature of about 200° with a range of 190° to 205° but 200° plus is preferred.
Remember, you cook to a final internal temperature, not by time. This will vary by the thickness of the meat and your oven.
🐖Related Recipes
For boneless country-style pork ribs, start with Boneless County Style Ribs on the Grill, and don't miss Baked Boneless Pork Ribs.
Check out some pulled pork recipes, like Grilled Smoked Pulled Pork Butt, Pork Butt in the Oven, and Crock Pot Pulled Pork.
🍽️Serving
Serve on a plate or pull the meat off the bone for a pulled pork sandwich. Top with Memphis BBQ sauce, and add a side of Baked French Fries or Macaroni Salad.
❓FAQs
The target final internal temperature is 200° to 205°. Like pork butt, the connective tissue will melt, creating excellent moisture and taste. The lowest you should accept is 190°, but 200° to 205° is a better range.
🐖About Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs
The bone-in country-style pork ribs are cut from the pork shoulder ("Boston Butt") and the pork loin junction. The bone is from the scapula, and the meat comes from various muscles.
Boneless County Style Ribs are the tail end of a pork loin. It is very lean and cooks quickly, like pork chops. They are very different things—do not get confused.
This meat of bone-in-country ribs is not lean and variable because different muscles are included, much like the Boston butt. It must be cooked slowly for best results. Done correctly, it will be like a slice of "pulled pork" with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Bone-In Country Style Ribs on the Grill
Ingredients
- 2 bone in country style pork ribs - about 1 pound each
- 2 tablespoons Rub of you choice
A method of smoking if you want
- BBQ sauce
- wood chips for smoking - hickory preferred
Step-by-Step Instructions
- You can use the dry rub of your choice. If you don't have one, I have included my standard pork dry rub in the notes below.
- Give the ribs a nice coat of rub on all sides.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours if you have time.
- Set up your grill for low-and-slow cooking with smoking. Preheat the grill to a stable temp of about 250° in an indirect heat area. An accurate surface thermometer is a must for this. Clean and oil grill well.
- Add the wood chips to a smoker box a few minutes before the meat goes on. You can use a foil pack of wood chips instead.
- Place the pork on the indirect side.
- I usually smoke about 20 minutes of hickory smoke just for taste—but smoke is optional. I flip about every 60 minutes until the internal temperature is 200°-205*. The flipping may not be needed, but it makes me feel better.
- Move to a plate and cover with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- DO NOT MIX UP bone-in and boneless country-style pork ribs. They are different and should be cooked differently.
- Low and slow is the only way to get good results with the bone-in version.
- Use the rub of your choice.
- Generally, I use a drainage pan under the grill grates for low and slow pork. If you are only doing two, you can skip that.
- 200°-205° is an excellent internal temperature for this, or even a bit more—a minimum of 190° and a maximum of 205 °.
- You are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time.
- Rest covered for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Grill temperature is critical for this, so if you have questions, please see How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking,
My Pork Rub
This will make more than you need for this recipe. Store excess sealed tightly in a dark place for a few months. ½ cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon pepper. To use Morton or other coarse salts, use 2 tablespoons. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher saltOven Instructions are in the recipe post.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published May 28, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Carla says
I’m prepping to use my oven to cook these bone in country style ribs. You say do not cover with foil. Do you recommend covering these at any point using a different method from foil?
What is the finished result? Pull apart tender?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Carla,
Welcome to the blog.
Bone-in country-style ribs are a slice of pork butt and should be cooked the same. So leaving them open to the heat will promote the surface texture and "bark" from the rub. Similar to https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/
So can you cover it with foil? Sure, but there are a few issues. First, if sealed in the foil, all the fatty drainage will be there, bathing the meat. Kind of a mess. And the bark is non-existent. If just covered (not sealed) and up on a rack—it takes care of the drainage, but the bark is still destroyed.
Neither of these things is a major issue. You will still have moist, tender meat, but are things to think about.
As long as you get the final internal temperature to the point of melting the connective tissue. You will have fall off the bone tender meat.
Dan
J says
Hi Dr. Dan, I don’t have a grill. Can these be made in the oven at low heat? Thank you, it looks delicious!
DrDan says
Hi J
Welcome to the blog.
While I have never done it, I'm sure it would work. 250 degrees on a rack to the final internal temp. Probably about 2-3 hours. Similar to my oven pork butt https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/
You would miss the smoking but could use liquid smoke like the oven pork butt.
DrDan
Chris says
It has been a coon's age since I made country style ribs but these make me want to rectify that post haste.
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
I AM DROOLING... Love the last photo! Tend to agree the flipping does make us feel like we are cooking, but should not be needed. Aside from that, my favorite way to make these. all rub and meat, no need for sauce!
Wonderful post, thanks for sharing!
Dave at eRecipeCards.com