Passing The Grill: Teaching My Son How To Barbecue

Get grilling techniques and learn how to grill the perfect pork ribs. Plus, from Dad to son, keeping the grilling techniques in the family by teaching my son how to barbecue in this sponsored post collaboration with Kingsford. #StandWithRibs

Passing The Grill: Teaching My Son How To Barbecue

As a father to three boys there are a lot of important things I need to teach them before they leave the nest. Grooming? Check. Hygiene? Check. Good study habits, setting goals, and the fundamentals of finance? Check, check, and double-check! As a dad, I want my boys to be independent, free-thinking, gentlemen, and hardworking.

I also want my boys to be able to feed themselves, and not waiting for someone else to sit down something delicious and nutritious before them. Sustenance is essential, so having the ability and confidence to go into the kitchen and conjure up good food will serve them well for many decades to come. And like my father, their grandfather, showed me, albeit indirectly, there are a few grilling basics every son would be better served by knowing. 

This post is more for my sons more than anybody else, and so here it goes nothing! Plus, the best gifts are gifts given.

How To Barbecue

The Grill

I love charcoal grills! More than that, I get excited about charcoal grills which pull double-duty as smokers.  I tell my sons, “Gas grills ain’t really barbecuing!” Grilling over charcoal coals and hickory, mesquite, or applewood imparts a deep smoky flavor that is the benchmark of respectable and delicious grilling. And if you know the basics, just about any grill will do. Although there are countless types of grills and methods of cooking on those grills, I am only going to talk about the grills I have used.

Offset Double Smoker Grill

Currently, we have an off-set double smoker grill. This is a fantastic grill that is fueled by charcoal or wood. Primarily, we use it for cooking ribs, and chicken over indirect heat. But we also use it for steaks, both beef and tuna, vegetables and fruits like peaches, pineapple, and strawberries. 

Indirect Heat

For indirect cooking, position the charcoal to one side of the grill, the point is to have the heat from the charcoal radiating heat and cooking the food indirectly. Reflected heat is cooking the food, as it radiates off of the walls and tops of an enclosed top. This method is best for meats (Thick cuts, double-thick pork chops, bone-in cuts, ribs and roasts, whole chicken and fish, potatoes) requiring additional cooking time. Indirect heat is also the key to smoking cuts of meat and allows for the smoke to penetrate the meat and develop a deep smoke ring.

Direct Heat

This type of cooking is primarily used for fast cooking foods like burgers, hot dogs, most seafood, thin-cut pork chops, and veggies. You don’t need to use a lot of fuel for this type of cooking. However, the amount of charcoal will depend on the amount of food you are cooking at any given time and how big the grilling surface is.

A good coffee rub and light brown sugar work their magic on a slab of ribs…

Combo Indirect/Direct Heat

At times it is best to use a combination of both indirect and direct cooking. Some foods require searing to seal in the juices then moved to an area of the grill away from the heat source, and will finish cooking using indirect heat. Case in point, Steaks should be seared first over direct heat then moved to an area of the grill to finish using indirect heat. Same goes for roast and brisket cuts. 

When cooking ribs, in this case, pork spareribs I showed my son how it’s done.

The right heat source for me begins with Kingsford Long-Burning Charcoal. My Dad and my many uncles were all Kingsford men. I never saw my childhood pitmasters use anything else. So, if it was good enough for the kings of the barbecue, then it is good enough for me. I picked up a 25-pound bag at our local Kroger, along with everything else I needed to pull this one-off. 

We cooked our spareribs using indirect heat for just over 3 1/2 hours. Notice how the rib bones are exposed; that only happens when the meat is properly cooked on low and slow, and tenderness happens, giving you mouthwatering perfection. Deep smoke flavor, indeed! Passing on what I have learned from my years of grilling to my sons is important to me, and Kingsford products are a big part of our grilling tradition. 

Another time-tested pro-tip, place rings on onion on the bottom of the foil; this technique will prevent the ribs from sticking

The concept here is to allow the spareribs to cook inside of its own juices. The marbled fat will render off and combine with the flavors imparted by seasonings, the onions, and the brown sugar. The brown sugar penetrates the fibrous meat and makes it super tender.

These spareribs are ready to eat. I wish you guys could smell and taste what we are experiencing over this way! YUM!

How to make Pork Spareribs:

Ingredients:

• 1 slab of spareribs, rinsed and patted dry
• 1  1/2 cup coffee rub
• 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large onion, sliced thin

Directions:

1. Arrange the coals into a two-zone configuration using about 60 – 100 charcoal briquettes, we’ll be using indirect cooking and want a temperature between 350 to 400 degrees.
2. Allow the ribs to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. Rub the ribs down with extra virgin olive oil.
4. Combine the coffee rub and light brown sugar into a bowl and mix well.
5. Coat both sides of the rib slab in the coffee rub and light brown sugar mixture.
6. Pull out a length of foil about 6-inches longer than the ribs on both sides.
7. Lay the foil shiny side down and brush it with oil, then place the onions onto the foil.
8. Place the ribs on the bed of onions, and fold the side up and over the meat.
9. Position the ribs on the grill away from the charcoal and close the lid.
10. Allow the ribs to cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
11. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes.
12. Serve.

Find more grilling recipes:

Grilled Peppers + Steak Stir-Fry

Grilled Chile Salmon Filets

Grilled Jalapeno Pineapple Spareribs

How To Grill A Turkey Burger

Bacon-Wrapped Baby Back Ribs

And that’s how it’s done, son! Love ribs like we do? Sign the petition to make Ribs the national food of America. 

The Kingsford Long-Burning Charcoal is ideal for cuts of meat which require longer cooking time on the grill. With typical charcoal, you may need to keep opening the grill to add more charcoal. And by doing so, much needed heat escapes, and the meat takes longer to get up to the proper temperature. Not cool.  Using Kingsford’s Long-Burning Briquets allows for a one and done situation, and our spareribs came out perfectly. 

This Father’s Day, if you plan to get out the grill or to buy a grill for that wonderful guy in your life, be sure to get the right essentials to pull off the perfect pork ribs! Nothing says “thanks, Dad” like giving Dad the right grilling tools, meat, Kingsford’s Long-Burning Briquets, and helping him fire up the grill to cook some amazing, falling off the bone ribs! 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kingsford. The opinions and text are all mine.