Either on the grill or in your oven, low and slow is perfect for bone-in country-style pork ribs. This economical cut of pork will be fall-of-the-bone tender and moist with these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Introduction
Bone-in country-style pork ribs are best thought of as a slice of a pork butt with various muscles and bones. That makes them harder to cook right than most other cuts of meats.
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.
For the bone-in variety, I start with a pork rub and then indirect heat long and slow cooking technique using an endpoint of 200° plus—excellent results for a cheap cut of meat.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- If you don't have a pork dry rub, mix my recipe in the recipe card notes.
- Give the ribs a nice coat of rub on all sides.
- Optional: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. Preheat grill to a stable temp of about 250° for indirect cooking.
- Optional Set up a smoking method using a smoker box or foil package.
- Place the pork on the indirect side.
- Flip about every 60 minutes until an internal temp of about 200°. It will usually take 2 ½ to 3 hours.
- Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
♨️Oven instructions
There are ways to smoke in the oven, but not for most home cooks. I suggest 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.
Use a baking tray with the sides with foil to help clean up, and a rack to keep the meat out of the melted fat. Do not cover.
The cooking time and temperature will be approximately the same as the grill—about 2 ½ 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.
You are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time.
🐖About Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs
This is "the other" country-style pork ribs to me. I frequently do boneless country-style ribs, and this is a totally different cut.
The boneless is the tail end of a pork loin. It is very lean and cooks quickly.
The bone-in country-style pork ribs are cut from the pork shoulder (also called "Boston Butt") and cut bone from the scapula.
This meat is not lean but is variable because different muscles are included, but much of it is like the Boston butt. It must be cooked slowly, or the results are terrible.
❓FAQs
Can is different than should. You will have much better results cooking low and slow with indirect heat of 250°, similar to cooking a whole pork butt.
If you know how to do 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.
The target final internal temperature is approximately 200°. 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.
📖BBQ Recipes
Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill - Not That Hard
Memphis Barbecue Sauce - A Wonderful Thing
How to Grill Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
How to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
You can use the dry rub of your choice. I have included my standard pork dry rub if you don't have one. It will make way too much for this recipe. Use what you need and save the remainder for later.
My Standard Pork Dry Rub: ½ cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon pepper. You can save the extra sealed tightly for up to 2 months. If using Morton salt, use 2 tablespoons.
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.
Preheat the grill to a stable temp of about 250° for indirect cooking. An accurate surface thermometer is a must for this. See How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking if you need help with this. Clean and oil grill well.
Add the wood chips to a smoker box a few minutes before the meat goes on.
Place the pork on the indirect side.
I usually do about 20 minutes of smoke just for taste—but smoke is optional. Flip about every 60 minutes until an internal temp of about 200°. 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
Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs
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
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.
- Give the ribs a nice coat of rub on all sides.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. This is optional but a good touch.
- Preheat the grill to a stable temp of about 250° for indirect cooking. 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 if you are using smoke.
- Place the pork on the indirect side.
- Flip about every 60 minutes until an internal temp of about 200°. It will usually take 2 ½ to 3 hours. The flipping may not be needed, but it makes me feel better.
- Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- DO NOT MIX UP bone-in and boneless country-style pork ribs. They are totally different and should be cooked totally differently.
- Low and slow is the only way to good results with the bone-in version.
- Use the rub of your choice.
- Generally, for low and slow pork, I use a drainage pan. If you are only doing two, you can skip that.
- 200° is a good internal temperature for this, or even a bit more. Minimum of 190° and 205° maximum.
- 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 user of 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
Place on a tray with sides or in a dish for 2 ½ to 3 hours. A rack is recommended to keep the meat out of the drainage. Do not cover with foil. Remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time. I do suggest a coat of good-quality liquid smoke before applying the rub.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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Editor's Note: Originally Published May 28, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Carla
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
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
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
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
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
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