Are Direct Heat Ribs With Salt & Pepper The Best?

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If you’ve been spending four to five hours smoking ribs the traditional low and slow way, I’m about to introduce you to a method that might just change everything. In a recent backyard BBQ experiment, I cooked three racks of St. Louis spare ribs on my Smokeslinger using direct heat — no wrapping, no spritzing, no babysitting — and had them done in just 90 to 105 minutes. The results were outstanding, and the winner might surprise you.

What Is the Direct Heat Method?

Direct heat cooking means the food is positioned directly above the heat source rather than off to the side in an indirect setup. On the Smokeslinger, this is achieved by positioning the tuning plates directly above the charcoal baskets on both sides of the cooker, creating radiant heat that cooks the ribs faster while still developing incredible flavor and texture.

The target temperature for this cook was around 325°F, which is significantly higher than the 225-250°F range most backyard pitmasters use for low and slow ribs. The result is a faster cook with a slightly different texture — and if you’ve never experienced the light crunch that direct heat produces on the outside of a rib, you’re in for a treat.

The Three Rub Experiment

To make this cook even more interesting, I tested three different seasoning approaches on three separate racks of St. Louis spare ribs, all purchased as a three pack from Costco.

Rack #1 — Kosher Salt & 16 Mesh Black Pepper

Inspired by Frank Cox over at the Smokeslinger channel, this rack was seasoned with nothing but kosher salt and 16 mesh black pepper. No spritz, no wrap, no butter or honey added during the cook. Just pure simplicity. I’ll be honest — I was skeptical going in, because I’ve always felt that ribs needed more seasoning to really shine. I was wrong.

Rack #2 — My Own Rib Rub

This is the rub I use for my commercial cooks. It includes chili powder and brown sugar for a well-rounded flavor profile with a little sweetness and heat. This is my tried and true go-to, and I was confident it would hold its own against the other two.

Rack #3 — SuckleBusters Hog Waller

I had used SuckleBusters Hog Waller before and remembered loving it, but it had been so long I honestly couldn’t recall what it tasted like. One thing I noticed right away is that it’s a very fine rub compared to my own coarser blend, which gives it a different look and feel on the meat going into the cook.

How the Cook Went

I fired up the Smokeslinger using B&B Competition Briquettes, filling both charcoal baskets and lighting two small chimneys to pour over the top of the unlit coals. Once the cooker settled in around 325°F with all vents wide open, the ribs went on bone side down, meat side up.

The cook timeline looked like this:

0-75 minutes — Ribs on bone side down, starting to see the meat tighten up
75-90 minutes — Checked for bone pullback, not quite ready to flip
90 minutes — Clear bone pullback and a beautiful bend on all three racks, flipped to meat side down
90-105 minutes — Final 15 minutes meat side down, then off the cooker into a loose foil rest

No wrapping during the cook. No spritzing. No adding butter, honey, or brown sugar at any point. Just the ribs and the heat.

The Verdict

My wife Jeannine and I tasted all three racks, and here’s how they stacked up:

My Commercial Rib Rub delivered exactly what I expected — tender, flavorful, great color. A reliable crowd pleaser.

SuckleBusters Hog Waller came in with solid flavor and a slightly darker color than my own rub. Coming after the salt and pepper ribs in the tasting order, it felt a little more subtle by comparison, but Jeannine appreciated the sweetness it brought.

The Salt & Pepper Ribs were the unanimous favorite. The simplicity of the seasoning let the pork and the direct heat do all the talking. There was a light crunch on the outside that you simply don’t get with low and slow ribs, and the flavor was clean, bold, and absolutely delicious. Neither of us could stop going back for more.

Key Takeaways

If you’re looking to add a faster rib cook to your BBQ repertoire, here’s what I learned from this experiment:

Direct heat at 325°F can produce outstanding ribs in 90-105 minutes without any wrapping
Leaving the membrane on the back of the ribs protects them during the higher heat cook
Salt and pepper is not just for brisket — it absolutely works on ribs and may even be the best option
B&B Competition Briquettes delivered consistent heat throughout the entire cook
You don’t need to spritz, wrap, or add anything during the cook to get tender, flavorful ribs

Watch the Full Video

Want to see the full cook from start to finish? Watch the video below and see the reactions for yourself!