From chicken and pork chops to veggies and kabobs, you can grill just about anything — though, let's face it, ribs are the undisputed king of barbecue, in part because of their affordability. Smoky or sweet, wet or dry, there is no one right way to cook ribs. But wherever you travel, the locals will insist their method is the best. America is a big country, and no matter where you go, ribs are on the menu. Here are some of our favorite recipes.
Although many ribs served outside of Blues City are slathered in barbecue sauce, Tennesseans will tell you that Memphis dry ribs are the pinnacle of barbecue. These tangy, earthy, fall-off-the-bone ribs are dry only on the outside, though. The secret is to start by basting the raw ribs with vinegar before applying a rub. Then cook them low and slow with indirect heat.
Recipe: Serious Eats
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This classic recipe starts with a salt-and-garlic brine. Both smoky and spicy, the ribs are bathed in a sauce that provides a jolt from hot sauce and flaked pepper. Add liquid smoke and beer, and you've got one of the Southeast's best rib recipes.
Recipe: Rachael Ray
Related: Cheap Rubs and Marinades for Summer Barbecues
Sweet, smoky, and spicy, these big, bold ribs are 100% Texas. The winner of multiple local competitions, the recipe calls for a smoker fired with pecan or hickory wood. The rub, which contains cayenne, onion, and garlic powders, sits on the meat for a full hour before the ribs hit the metal.
Recipe: Food.
This West Coast recipe combines molasses and pineapple rum for ribs that are distinctly Caribbean. The ribs are steamed before grilling to make them fall-off-the-bone tender
Recipe: Food52
For juicy, flavorful ribs, this recipe requires the cook to seal beer-soaked ribs in foil before cooking for a surprisingly quick 20 to 30 minutes. Orange juice, dark brown sugar, and ketchup make for ribs that are sweet enough for the Peach State.
Recipe: Williams Sonoma
This recipe, which could use a smoker, requires marinating the ribs for up to two days in the fridge (and at least overnight). It features both a sauce and a dry rub, which complement each other. The mustard sauce, which includes vinegar, has a potent bite, so the rub contains plenty of sugar to sweeten things up.
Recipe: Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen
Vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cloves, dry mustard, and bay leaves are the foundation of these tangy ribs. The trick is to soften the meat by boiling the ribs in a Dutch oven before grilling them patiently over coals.
Recipe: Porcao Grill
Although you probably don't associate New England with ribs, the region is known for maple syrup that's used in this sweet recipe. The ribs are baked for 11 hours in a 250-degree oven with salt, pure maple syrup, and nothing else.
Recipe: Through Her Looking Glass
These Amarillo Tri-State Fair prize-winning ribs are crafted in a sauce made from simple ingredients. The trick is to boil and then simmer the ribs before moving them to the grill. The ribs will spend more time in the pot than over the coals.
Recipe: Miles Farmers Market
Simple and basic, these Deep South ribs call for two hours of marinating and one hour of baking. The bare-bones recipe calls for just four ingredients, including the ribs. One of those ingredients is a can of cola.
Recipe: Cooks
The secret to these Western-style short ribs is to seal the meat overnight in a zipper bag filled with pale ale. After that, the ribs will be saturated and tender enough to grill for just a few minutes on each side after sprinkling them with some steak seasoning.
Recipe: H-E-B Grocery Co.
Oklahoma Joe's is one of the most celebrated barbecue joints in the Sooner State, and its soak-and-smoke rib recipe has gone public. Heavy doses of brown and white sugar are balanced with a rub that features chili pepper, garlic, onion, cumin, black pepper, and white pepper.
Recipe: Midwest Living
These prize-winning spare ribs are smoked with chunks of maple and apple wood. Flavored with a spice rub and a sweet heat rub, the zing is balanced with liberal doses of honey, sugar, and butter.
Recipe: OregonLive
Few cities in the country are more synonymous with ribs than Kansas City. The barbecue mecca is known for pork loin back ribs swimming in barbecue sauce. The secret here is to first rub both sides of the rack with a spicy blend that includes cayenne, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne.
Recipe: Cooking Channel