Get some properly trimmed ribs from a good butcher. Make sure they are meaty with the Backbone cut off so you can slice them apart easily after cooking and the membrane taken off so they accept seasoning.

Marinade over night in a mixture of 4 cups Grape Juice 2 cups water with 2 heads of garlic a small handful of rosemary, � cup salt, one cup sugar, and a tea spoon of cayenne peppers. What I use to mix the solid ingredients with the water and wine is a Vitamix blender. Throw in the whole heads of Garlic and un-chopped rosemary and let the blender do the work. Makes a marinade in under a miniute. Poke a few holes into the meat from the fat surrounding the ribs so the fat gets into the meat while its smoking.

Put the meat rib side up into the smoker laying flat with 6 oz of your favorite wood at 200 for 6 hrs until an internal temp of 180.00 then turn down and hold at 160 for 2 hrs or until meat is real tender but still juicy.

We used Grape juice because I thought the kids would like it better in retrospect this is a great adult dinner served with fresh corn. Rice with carrots and a hearty red wine. The ribs absorbed enough flavor we did not need any sauce. Next time I will use Red Wine instead of Grape juice, increase the Cayenne pepper - and feed the kids hamburgers.

Michael,

Tried a slightly modified version of your marinade and cooking procedure - it was great! Thanks, for posting it! I usually don't use rubs, marinades and brines but, occasionally, one looks interesting. This one did and I am glad I tried it. You can see pictures of the results by clicking here. (Use the Prev and Next links, above the pictures, to see them all.) I also posted the modified version of the marinade on my Recipe Page - hope you don't mind.

It is a honor to have someone try and especially modify any of my recipes thank you for posting your changes I will consider using them myself.

With further experimentation I now believe the best way to do the ribs is 225 for at least 7 to 8 hrs and no holding � give a more tender end product you will know when you have gone too far when the meat gets real dry.

Ray,those are some great looking meats and swell photo work.

My mouth is watering badly.

The pix of those beef ribs almost tempt me to cook some again.

Ray and Connie,
What a FANTASTIC display of grilling and smoking!!! Next time I'm in Oregon, I'm giving you guys a call! I thought it was just going to be pics of the ribs and then here we go. I'm like, "no way, there's more!" Wow. You can give Smokin' a run for his money on the pictures dept! Super job you guys! Very impressive!

The Minion Method!!!!!!!!!! My whole life is changed. Why didn't I think of that?

I'm going to do beef ribs just to celebrate the Minion Method.

Blue grape juice or white grape juice? Or does it matter.

Ray and Connie, you're the best. And so is Jim Minion.

The Method. It was just staring me in the face all these years. I guess I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Purple grape juice. Purple marinade. Purple beef ribs...
Hmmmmmm. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I just remembered a good one:

I've never seen a purple cow,
I never hope to see one.
But, I'll tell you here and now,
I'd rather see than be one.

How 'bout that?!

I2, sound like the purple grape juice you've been sippin' is a tad fermented!

Thank each of you for the kind words! The ribs were every bit as good as they look in the pictures. Thanks, again, to Michael for the original recipe!

(If anyone has difficulty finding the modified recipe, it's on the second page of recipes - click NEXT in the upper-right corner of the first page.)

Hey, Ray and Mike, we did the beef ribs yesterday. Came out great. That grape-juice marinade you folks are advocating (with cayenne pepper!) is very interesting. Smoked over oak. It took a day to find the beef ribs. Nice to be able to mix things up at the old BBQ pit. Thx

Thanks for the kind words another change I have made that turns out well is hanging the ribs in the smoker rather than laying them flat little dryer but less fatty.

I wonder if this recipe has been around too long to enter the contest with?

Have to split with Ray if we win great pictures !!!

So I just put on some ribs and thought I better check to see what temp. and how long is best. I'm thinking 3-4 hours (WRONG!!!). To make matters worse, I hear about these great pictures, and go check em' out. This is cruel and unusual punishment folks. I won't be eating ribs until midnight tonight, but I WILL be eating them as my urge for ribs just went into overdrive. (lol)

Well done gentlemen.

Michael, you could have used red wine in the marinade instead of grape juice without havine to worry about the kids because the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process anyway

Micah in Oz'

Hey Ray97007,


I looked thru your photo's on your site. Very nice.. I have a question about your Thermometer. It looks like a Nu Temp 601? I have the 601 and was wondering if that was the same model becuase i cannot find a meat probe for mine, it only came with an outside temp thingy.. thanks!

Ray:
After looking at your pictures I just could not wait to smoke some of the ribs. I can honestly say that they tasted as good as your pictures made them look. My family and I thank both you and Michael for posting this great recipe.
Thanks guys and good job,
BGC