How to Cook Spare Ribs in a Rotisserie

Raw pork ribs on a cutting board

BravissimoS/iStock/Getty Images

Spare ribs can be cooked in a variety of ways. Many cooks season them with a barbecue sauce to complement the strong flavor of the pork. Spare ribs are high in fat and are thus excellent for slow-cooking methods like smoking and cooking in a rotisserie. These ribs are best enjoyed when the meat comes easily off the bones, which slow-cooking can encourage. Cooking on a rotisserie is also a low-maintenance method of cooking -- but you will want to pull the ribs out before the meat literally starts to fall off the bone and into the dripping pan.

Peel off the layer of fat covering the backside of the spare ribs. This strip can be grabbed at one end and pulled off the ribs in one clean piece.

Take the rotisserie skewer and thread it through the ribs in two or three different places, depending on the size of the rib rack. Make sure the spareribs are stable on the skewer.

Place the skewer onto the rotisserie and replace any grill plates that needed to be removed to load the rotisserie. Because different models have different setups, you should consult your owner's manual if you are unsure how to reassemble these parts.

Place at least 1 1/2 cups water in the drip pan to prevent drippings from burning and meat from drying out.

Cook the meat for at least 1 1/2 hours on a low or medium setting. The cook time will depend on the size of the spare ribs and the cooking power of your rotisserie. A safe approach is to begin checking the meat's internal temperature after you pass the hour mark -- use a meat thermometer to check on how well it has cooked. Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.