ELK RIBS RECIPES

Steps:

• BBQ Rub and Sauce
• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for about a week in the fridge, longer if you omit the lemon juice.
• The Ribs
• Using a hacksaw or bone saw, cut a rack of game ribs perpendicular to the bones, so to get a 4-6 inch strip of connected rib bones.
• Then cut these strips into pieces containing 3 or 4 ribs apiece.
• Place the ribs into a pressure cooker or crock pot and add just enough stock or water to cover them.
• Cook at full pressure for 30 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. By then, the ribs should be fairly tender. The measure of a perfectly cooked venison rib will be if the meat hangs on to the bone when picked up, but if you shook the bone the meat would start to fall off. A little resistance is not a bad thing.
• Prepare a grill (gas or charcoal) at medium-high heat.
• Remove the ribs from the slow cooker, let them cool, and then give them a generous rub-down with the rub.
• Place the ribs on the grill.
• Since they’re already cooked, you’re simply reheating the meat and charring the outside a bit.
• Once the ribs have crisped, about 10 minutes, coat them generously with the barbeque sauce, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize and thicken.
• Serve warm.

Steps:

• Rinse the ribs in cold water and pad dry. Trim any excess fat or connective tissue. Only leave what you want to eat. 
• On the bone side of the ribs, remove the membrane. A quick trick is using a piece of paper towel to help grip the membrane. Once you get a good grip of the membrane, simply pull until it is completely removed.
• Once the ribs are prepped, I apply my favorite rub generously. Make sure to cover all the sides and edges of the ribs.Cover the ribs and keep in the fridge for 2 hours or more. 
• Remove the ribs from the fridge and allow to warm slightly on the counter. Fire up the smoker to 225F. I use Pecan or Cherry, when smoking ribs. 
• Once the smoker is at proper temp, place the ribs on the grill meat side up.
• Now you can pretty much wait for the three hours to pass or some fanatics prefer to spritz their ribs every 30-45 minutes with a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Adding moisture to the ribs aids in a smoky bark. After three hours, remove the ribs and place each rack meat side up on a large piece of Heavy Duty tin foil. 
• Brush melted butter over the tops of the ribs then followed by brushing the melted honey. You can spritz the ribs for extra moisture at this time. Flip the racks around so the bone side is facing up. Brush with melted butter and melted honey. 
• Leave the racks bone side up and wrap the ribs tightly. Place back on the smoker bone side up for 45-60 minutes. Keep the temp at 225F.
• Remove the ribs from the foil and place back on the grill. Brush the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce. Cook for approximately 30-45 more minutes at 225F.
• Check for doneness by using your grill tongs and pickup up the ribs and give them a slight bounce. If the meat starts to slightly split, the ribs are done.Remove from the smoker and cover in foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. 
• Be a professional and take a sharp knife (I use a Henkel Serrated Bread Knife) and cut each rib individually. You’ll notice how the ribs don’t fall apart as you cut. Also look for that beautiful pink smoke ring.