How long do hanging pork ribs take in Charlie?

About 4 hours at 150°C (300°F). The ribs hang from the top rack for around 2 to 2.5 hours, then move onto a roasting tray, get brushed with glaze and cook for another 1.5 to 2 hours, basted every 30 minutes.

Which wood should I use to smoke the ribs?

Apple wood chips. Add them early in the cook for a sweet, gentle smoke, while the lumpwood charcoal provides the steady heat. Half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal is enough to see the ribs through.

How thick should the stout BBQ glaze be?

Only slightly thickened. Simmer the stout, soy, brown sugar, vinegar and sriracha gently until it brushes on easily, because it builds into a rich, glossy coating with each round of basting during the final stage.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Pork

Pork ribs hanging in the Charlie Oven to smoke low and slow

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Hanging BBQ Pork Ribs

Name: Hanging BBQ Pork Ribs
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 4 h
Yield: 4 to 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 racks of pork ribs (around 1.5 to 2 kg total); 2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly ground; 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly ground; 1 tbsp olive oil; 250 ml stout; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 to 2 tsp sriracha

Ribs hanging from Charlie's top rack, a little applewood smoke and a sticky glaze of stout, soy and sriracha. They take their time to become tender. This is a cook to settle into, rather than squeeze in.

William PodburyChef

Smoke

Prep1 hour 15 minutes

Cook4 hours

Serves4 to 6

DifficultyEasy

Oven temperature150°C (300°F)

RackUpper rack for hanging, then a roasting tray on the lower rack

CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal

Method

Setting up Charlie

Place half a football's worth of charcoal in the oven and light it.
Bring the oven to 150°C (300°F) for slow cooking.
Add a small handful of dry apple wood chips to the hot charcoal once the ribs are hanging for a gentle sweet smoke.
Place a roasting tray on the lowest rack to catch fat drips and keep the oven clean.

Mix the salt, smoked paprika, cumin, and fennel seeds. Coat the ribs with the listed 1 tbsp olive oil, then rub with the seasoning. Leave to sit for at least 1 hour.
Use sturdy S-hooks to hang the racks from the top rack in the highest position. Make sure the ribs hang freely without touching the sides.
Cook the ribs at 150°C (300°F) for around 2 to 2.5 hours. Add apple wood chips early in the cook for sweet, gentle smoke. Keep the tray underneath to catch fat.
While the ribs cook, combine stout, soy, brown sugar, vinegar, and sriracha in a pan. Simmer gently until slightly thickened into a basting sauce.
After the initial hanging cook, move the ribs onto a roasting tray. Brush with the BBQ glaze and return to Charlie at 150°C (300°F). Baste every 30 minutes for another 1.5 to 2 hours, until the ribs are sticky, tender, and glossy.
Rest briefly, slice into portions, and serve with extra glaze on the side.

Tips

Hanging the ribs from the top rack lets the heat and smoke circulate all around, creating even cooking and deep flavour. The initial apple-wood smoke adds depth, while the charcoal heat gives steady cooking power. Make sure the ribs hang freely without touching the sides, and keep the tray underneath to catch fat during the first stage of cooking. Simmer the glaze only until slightly thickened so it brushes on easily and builds into a rich, glossy coating during the final basting stage.

More recipes

The cook

William Podbury

Chef

William Podbury is a professional chef and open fire cooking expert. Formerly a chef at Embers in Northampton, his cooking is all about harnessing fire and smoke to get the very best from great ingredients.

More recipes by William Podbury

Frequently asked questions

How long do hanging pork ribs take in Charlie?

About 4 hours at 150°C (300°F). The ribs hang from the top rack for around 2 to 2.5 hours, then move onto a roasting tray, get brushed with glaze and cook for another 1.5 to 2 hours, basted every 30 minutes.
How do I hang ribs in the Charlie Oven?

Use sturdy S-hooks to hang each rack from the top rack in its highest position. Make sure the ribs hang freely without touching the sides, and keep a tray on the lower rack underneath to catch the fat as they cook.
Which wood should I use to smoke the ribs?

Apple wood chips. Add them early in the cook for a sweet, gentle smoke, while the lumpwood charcoal provides the steady heat. Half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal is enough to see the ribs through.
How thick should the stout BBQ glaze be?

Only slightly thickened. Simmer the stout, soy, brown sugar, vinegar and sriracha gently until it brushes on easily, because it builds into a rich, glossy coating with each round of basting during the final stage.