There are a several ways to prepare barbecue pork ribs but traditionally barbecue ribs are cooked in a smoker. Many people insist on other methods. Boiling, baking and even grilling won't give you ribs that are worthy of being called authentic barbecue.
 

Now I know this probably upsets a lot of people. But if you've tried all the ribs offered in town that spend millions of dollars to tell you how good their ribs are, that is exactly what you are getting. Most likely they have been boiled, then baked with sauce and then grilled and slathered with more sauce when you order them. No smoke mean its not barbecue at all. They should call them boiled ribs or baked ribs or grilled ribs.

In my humble opinion, if you need to use barbecue sauce at all on your ribs to give them flavor, its probably because the cook isn't very good. You need to cook on low heat and with good smoke to make them right. 
We do them right.

According to the pros who win barbecue competitions ribs are done cooking when they will bend at a 90° angle and little cracks will appear in the surface of the meat.

They shouldn't fall into your lap and the meat shouldn't "fall off the bone" That is way overcooked and a serious faux pas in real barbecue ribs, on this the experts all agree.

After that, there are as many rubs, mops and bastes and sauces as there are barbecue cooks. Different regions have different flavor profiles. (We will save that for another time)

You can achieve outstanding results at home on your propane or charcoal grill if you set it up like a smoker. 

Ribs should be trimmed and the membrane on the back needs to be peeled off. We use St. Louis cut ribs because they are a bit meatier. Slather on a little mustard or oil and sprinkle on your favorite rub. Letting the ribs sit overnight is a great idea. Soak your favorite wood chunks overnight as well.
(We like hickory and or fruit woods)

Prepare your grill by getting it up to temperature somewhere between 225° and 250° Hopefully you have a propane grill that you can adjust the flame on only one side. Charcoal grills should have the coals moved to one side. Drop your wood chunks wrapped in foil next to the heat so it doesn't catch fire but smolders and gives off smoke.
A light bluish color smoke is ideal.

Put your ribs on the side away from the heat. You are using indirect heat to slow cook. 
Put the lid down and maintain a constant temperature. Many pros will add coals that are burned down and not briquettes to their charcoal grills.
 

You will want to open your grill about once an hour or so and baste your ribs with your favorite mop. (We use apple juice and cider vinegar in a spray bottle) You might also want to flip the ribs.

Ribs are done, when they are done. This isn't a race to get dinner on the table.  These will take 4-6 hours to cook. It's about enjoying the summer afternoon with the family. If you need to get dinner in a hurry, opt for hamburger or a nice steak. 

Bill Wood, food editor for the Kalamazoo Gazette, knows ribs and gave a nice Hot Ticket Item write up this week for our ribs. Read it here