The Pros And Cons Of Boiling Ribs Before Tossing Them On The Grill

If you're after some sweet, smoky, porky goodness, throwing some ribs on the grill (whether spare ribs or baby back ribs — yes, there's a difference) is a wonderful choice for a summer barbecue. However, we understand that not everybody has their own smoker at home. (Or if they do, they haven't set it up for years, even though they swear they'll cook with it this summer — not that this writer knows anything about that.) So the question is: If you don't have a smoker, should you boil the ribs first, or just put those bad boys right over the flame without a chance to warm up? We asked Christie Vanover, a pit master you may know from Food Network's "BBQ Brawl," and she told us that it depends.

"Par-boiling ribs before grilling them can definitely speed up the cooking process and ensure the meat is super tender," she says. That's certainly good news if your past attempts at grilling ribs resulted in something unpleasantly chewy, but there are some downsides as well. "Unlike smoking ribs, the meat will have less smoke flavor. They will also have a mushier texture." Par-boiling ribs is a good substitute if you don't have a smoker to cook your ribs on before grilling them, but it's not quite the same.

If you do decide to par-boil your ribs, Christie Vanover says you need to do it properly. Don't crank the heat up too high and let the ribs boil for too long; instead,  let them cook at a gentle simmer. "Simmering the ribs will help break down the collagen more gradually, improving their texture," she explains. Similarly, make sure they don't par-boil for too long. "When cooking pork ribs, only parboil them for about 45 minutes to an hour. You want them to still have some tug to them before you add them to the grill." Nobody wants to bite into a rib and get a mouthful of pork-flavored tissue paper, after all.

But what liquid should you boil your ribs in? Do you need to get fancy with it? Not necessarily, but Vanover tells us that a little extra flavor can help. "When boiling ribs, consider adding BBQ rub to a large pot of water. This will help season the meat as it cooks," she says. Vanover gives us a few other options as well, including beef broth and Worcestershire sauce (once you learn how to pronounce it, anyway). In any case, it's a step as useful for your ribs as it is for your bratwurst.