The Genius Way To Cook Ribs If You Don't Have A Lot Of Space

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Grilling is a passion for many home cooks and though there's plenty of swanky equipment to get the job done, not everyone has space for a bigger appliance. We've already proved that you can get fall-off-the-bone ribs with your slow cooker and while that's great for winter, standing by a crock pot with a brewski isn't quite as much fun. Luckily, Scott Thomas of The Grillin' Fools has come up with the perfect hack: roll those ribs.

Thomas' trick works for all kinds of ribs, but baby backs are good for really small grills like this one. You begin by pulling off the membrane from the bone side — you can ask your butcher to do this if your ribs aren't sold pre-skinned — then season that side of the meat with salt and your chosen rub. Next, take some butcher's twine and wrap it round the ribs so they form a circle.

Grab an extra pair of hands from among the family if you're having a hard time tying off the string, and use a skewer to help hold the ribs together. Try to make any overlap between the two ends as small as possible, so every scrap of them gets a good bark. When that's all done, you can season the outside of the meat. "One thing I learned when doing this hack is to season the ribs and then tie them off as it was hard to get a complete coating," Thomas warned.

Once securely rolled up, the ribs are ready for the grill. Thomas used indirect heat in a kamado-style grill for a slow smoke at a temperature of around 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It could hold one full slab of ribs laid flat or two half slabs, but Scott Thomas said: "By rolling them I can fit three whole slabs easily and could've done a fourth." 

After closing the lid, leave the ribs to do their thing for two hours, before checking on how they are coloring. At this point, the rolled ribs need a 180-degree rotation to make sure they all cook evenly. Thomas also took the opportunity to add more seasoning at this stage, as lots of it is lost when the fat is rendered out, before closing the lid and leaving the ribs to cook for at least another hour. 

When you decide the rolled ribs are cooked (you can still use the 3-2-1 method), simply cut through the twine and watch those delicious meaty bones unfurl, ready to be sliced into individual ribs and devoured. Thomas said you can also add a dash more seasoning just before they are served, but that's entirely up to you. Another way to get more out of a smaller grill is this trick to add vertical grilling space with a wire rack.