Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs

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.

My Rating

Very nice. I'm saving a 5 for real pork butt. Because this is a mixture of different meat textures, it will be dependent on the exact cut you get.

🐖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.

👨‍🍳The Dry Rub

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 recipe card. It will make way too much for this recipe. Use what you need and save the remainder for later.

A salt note about the rub: all recipes on this site are set to Diamond Crystal if it says kosher salt. But all salt is not equal. So if using Morton kosher salt, then use 2 tablespoons instead of three.

1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

♨️The Grill Setup

The grill needs to be set up similar to how we do pork butts. We want to do indirect heat with some smoke if possible.

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.

🌡️Temperature

The cooking temperature we are aiming for is 250° on the grill or in an oven. Obviously, the oven is easier, but the grill is always special.

The target final internal temperature is approximately 200°. Like pork butt, the connective tissue will melt, creating great moisture and taste. The lowest you should accept is 190°, but 200° to 205° is a better range.

⏰Time

This will take about 2 ½ to 3 hours at 250°.

If you want to cook at a bit higher temperature, say 300°, your cooking time will decrease by about 30-60 minutes. Variable by your grill setup, the thickness of the meat, and exact cooking temperature.

♨️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.

Just place it on a baking tray with sides of the dish. Use foil to help clean up, and a rack to keep the meat out of the melted fat is highly suggested. 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.

📖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

🖼️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. 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 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.

📖Full Recipe

Editor's Note: Originally Published May 28, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.