Clockwise from left: Grilled Peppered Dry Spareribs, Simple Smoked Beef Short Ribs, Smoked Bison Back Ribs

T he humble rib, a delicacy since man discovered fire, is one of America's favorite things to eat. But the vast majority of the time we feast on ribs at roadside rib shacks and barbecue joints rather than make them at home. If you've never grilled or smoked ribs on your own and don't know where to start, or even if you know a lot, listen up. We've run and competed in hundreds of rib contests, and there's always more to learn. In this basic primer we'll share our secrets to shopping for, prepping, and grilling or smoking ribs, plus provide recipes from our new book, America's Best Ribs. But, before we jump into the details, here are 10 dos and don'ts for mastering ribs.

Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk's Rib Commandments

1. Fresh First, Frozen Second:

2. Avoid Shiners:

3. Go Hog Wild:

4. Keep It Together: Don't cut rib slabs into individual pieces for cooking. Cook the whole slab, and then slice it into individual ribs for serving.

5. Save Bits and Pieces: As you're preparing the ribs, reserve any meat trimmings and smoke them to make barbecue beans, or for tasting samples before dinner.

6. Season with a Light Hand: Don't overdo with marinades, rubs, mops, or sauces! Grilling and smoking bring out the natural flavors of ribs, and while seasonings can enhance those, they can also quickly overpower them. If you can't tell that ribs were grilled or smoked, they're overseasoned.

7. Don't Boil Away Flavor: While some cooks rely on this method for tenderness, when you boil meat you lose its flavor in the water.

8. Wraps Are Not in Fashion: Never wrap ribs in foil for cooking; foil blocks smoke and steam-cooks the meat. It's fine to loosely cover cooked ribs with foil for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

9. Presentation Matters: People eat with their eyes before they even taste food, so put care into how you plate and serve your ribs. Instead of butcher paper or disposable plates, arrange ribs on a glass or ceramic platter or a large dinner plate. Don't drown ribs in sauce; brush it on lightly and serve the rest in a bowl or bottle on the side. A sprinkling of rub or chopped parsley adds eye appeal and many Texans expect to see a pickled jalapeño on the plate.

10. Be Creative with Leftovers: If you're lucky enough to have any leftover ribs, remove the meat for use in barbecue beans, sandwiches, coleslaw, or what's known as a barbecue sundae: In a canning jar, layer barbecue beans, coleslaw, and meat and garnish with a sour pickle. Of course, you can also rewarm ribs in the microwave, covered with a paper towel, until just warm, 1 to 2 minutes.

Kansas City–based cookbook authors Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk are charter members of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and authors of America's Best Ribs and America's Best BBQ. Davis founded the American Royal International BBQ Sauce, Rub, and Baste Contest as well as the Great American Barbecue Sauce, Baste, and Rub Contest. Kirk has won more than 475 cooking and barbecuing awards, including seven world championships, and runs the Baron of BBQ School of Pit Masters.

Photos: Selma Dakota, Extreme Images; Jonathan Chester, Extreme Images; Ardie A. Davis

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