Smokewalker, every late April I have to host a BBQ. Last year, I had access to a really nice wood burning smoker and slow cooked some awesome baby backs and tri-tip roasts using a mixture of cherry and apple woods.
Unfortunately, this year I do not have access to a proper smoker and can't afford to buy one in time. All I will have available for the cookout this year is a 4-burner gas grill. I'd still like to slow cook a few racks of ribs. Do you have any suggestions for creating some smoke with what I have?
Thanks.
Try this, season your ribs with what ever rub you use and refrigerate them for a few hours or overnight.
For the smoke, use a small throw away foil roasting pan, put your wood in dry, cover the pan with aluminum foil and poke some holes in the foil, now get the center burner going on the grill and put the foil pan over that burner.
It shouldn't take long for you to get smoke, now take your slabs of ribs and put them on either side of the grill (don't light the side burners), close the cover on the grill and let them smoke for an hour or so, you should be getting some heat built up in the grill with the cover closed and after about an hour you should be seeing some color indicating cooking on the ribs.
Once you figure you have them smoke flavored to your taste, and you see some sign of cooking wrap the ribs in foil, take the smoke pan off the grill and set the heat to medium keeping the center burner going and the ribs on either side over cold burners, you'll be using indirect heat to slow cook your ribs, after you've closed the cover wait a few minutes and check the temp gauge and adjust the heat so your at 275~300 degreese.
Let them slow roast for a couple of hours, check them occasionally and if you're using a basting sauce do it then, when the meat starts to pull away from the bone they're done.