How to Cook Western Ribs

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 Tested

Western ribs are different from country ribs, as they're much tougher and less lean. They're great for barbecuing and pressure cooking, providing a great taste. You can cook western ribs on the grill, either slowly or quickly, by adjusting the burners on the grill and using indirect or direct heat. Cooking the ribs in a slow cooker is another option with super-easy prep.

Ingredients

Grilled Western Ribs

Western-style ribs
Barbecue rub
Salt
Barbecue sauce

Slow-Cooked Western Ribs

Western-style ribs (cut into 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) strips)
Barbecue rub
Salt
0.5 cups (120 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) barbecue sauce

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Making Grilled Western Ribs

1
Season the western ribs with a barbecue rub. Use your favorite barbecue rub to season the western ribs. Make sure you coat each rib evenly with the rub to get the best taste.^{[1]
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- If the barbecue rub you're using doesn't contain salt, add a little salt to each rib for added flavor.
2
Set your grill to medium heat. To ensure your western ribs cook quickly, make sure you turn your grill to medium heat. Let it heat up for a few minutes before adding the ribs.^{[2]
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- Medium heat is about 350 °F (177 °C).
3
Place western ribs on the grate for 10 minutes. Put your ribs on the grate of the grill, spreading them out evenly. Close the lid to the grill and let the ribs cook for 10 minutes.^{[3]
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4
Flip the ribs over and apply barbecue sauce. Open the lid and flip the ribs over using a pair of tongs. Brush barbecue sauce onto the top of the ribs evenly, coating them generously.^{[4]
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- Use your favorite type of barbecue sauce when coating the ribs.
5
Grill the ribs for another 10 minutes. After the tops of the ribs have been coated in barbecue sauce, close the lid and let them cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat.^{[5]
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6
Coat the other side of the ribs with barbecue sauce. Open the lid and use the tongs to flip the ribs over again, so that the sides that are facing up are sauce-free. Now brush barbecue sauce onto this side of the ribs, coating them evenly.^{[6]
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7
Cook the ribs for 3 more minutes before removing them from the grill. Close the lid and cook the ribs for 3 more minutes to allow the last coat of barbecue sauce to heat up. After 3 minutes, remove the ribs from the grill using the tongs and let them sit on a plate to cool down for 5 minutes before serving.^{[7]
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8
Preheat your grill on medium-low for an alternative to fast grilling. If you'd rather let your ribs slow-cook on the grill, set the grill on medium-low heat to preheat. Turn all of your burners on high for 15 minutes to heat up the grill. After 15 minutes, turn all of the burners off except for 2, which you should set to medium.^{[8]
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- Grilling your ribs slowly will give them added flavor.
9
Place the ribs over indirect heat for 3 hours. To give your ribs that “fall off the bone” quality, place them over indirect heat — not over a lit burner — and let them cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours, place them in aluminum foil and coat them in barbecue sauce before grilling them an additional hour.^{[9]
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- The ribs should be kept over indirect heat the entire time they're cooking.
- Make sure you seal up the aluminum foil once you've brushed barbecue sauce onto each rib.
- After the ribs have cooked an additional hour, remove them from the grill and let them sit for 15 minutes to cool.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Making Slow-Cooked Western Ribs

1
Use western ribs that are cut into 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) strips. Visit your grocery store to find western ribs that are separated into 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) strips. Look for the words “pork shoulder,” telling you that the ribs are western-style as opposed to country-style.^{[10]
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- Country ribs are made of pork loin, which will dry out faster when being slow-cooked.
2
Apply a barbecue rub to the ribs. Pick out your favorite barbecue rub from the store and apply it to each strip evenly. Use as much or as little as you'd like. If your rub doesn't have salt in it already, apply a little salt on each rib for added flavor.^{[11]
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3
Place the ribs in a slow cooker and add 0.5 cups (120 ml) of water. Set your seasoned ribs into the bottom of a slow cooker. Use a measuring cup to pour 0.5 cups (120 ml) of water to the slow cooker, pouring it overtop the ribs.^{[12]
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4
Cook the ribs on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. If you'd like to go the quicker route, set your slow cooker on high and let the ribs cook for 3-4 hours. If you're not short on time, cook the ribs for 6-8 hours on the low setting.^{[13]
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- Make sure the lid stays on the slow cooker while the ribs are cooking.
5
Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of barbecue sauce over the ribs. After the designated time has passed, take off the lid to the slow cooker and measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of your favorite barbecue sauce. Pour this sauce over the ribs.^{[14]
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- Use as much or as little barbecue sauce as you'd like — you don't have to stick to 1 cup (240 ml).
6
Cook the ribs for 30 more minutes to an hour before serving. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and let the ribs cook for another 30-60 minutes with the barbecue sauce on them. Once they're done, turn off the slow cooker and start serving.^{[15]
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