How to Cook Smoked Pork Ribs
Smoked pork ribs are a true barbecue classic, popular anywhere barbecue lovers gather. Once you get a reputation for serving great ribs, word travels fast. In this article, you'll learn the simple process we use here at Grillbillies to smoke pork ribs that will be in demand at any cookout.
A note on seasonings: as always, the seasonings we recommend here are just a trusted starting point to keep it simple for you. If you have a favorite seasoning you'd like to try instead, go for it! Experimentation is part of the fun.
Ingredients
Directions
Cooking temperature: 250–275 degrees F
Cooking time: About 4–5 hours for St. Louis style ribs or 3–3-1/2 hours for baby backs (Start 1–2 hours early to leave time for the meat to rest between cooking and serving.)
Meat Prep
Step 1
Remove the membrane from the bone side of the slab.
The best way to do this is to slide a knife under the edge of the membrane to lift a corner you can grab with your fingers. The membrane is slick, so use a dry paper towel for grip.
Step 2
Remove any excess fat from the front and back. (If you're starting with spare ribs, this is also the time to trim it into a rectangular St. Louis style rack by removing the riblets.)
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Step 3
Rub vegetable oil on the entire slab to help “glue” the rub to the meat.
Now apply a medium layer of Smokin' Guns Hot BBQ Rub, a medium layer of Meat Church Honey Hog Rub, and a medium layer of Cimarron Doc’s Sweet Rib Rub, one on top of the other.
Step 4
Return the ribs to the fridge or cooler to chill until you are ready to smoke. Cold meat absorbs the most smoke. So the cooler your ribs are when they land in the smoker, the more flavor they will have time to absorb.
Fire Prep
- 1Light your charcoal and stabilize the temperature at 250 to 275 F.
- 2Add a few chunks of hickory, oak, or apple to the charcoal (no softwoods!). (For a gas grill, use hickory pellets or chips. You can use smoke generators such as GrillKickers, BBQr’s Pellet Pot and Amazing Pellet Tube. Learn more about smoking on a gas grill here.)
- 3Wait for your smoking wood to catch fire. (To learn more about the science of smoke management, read “Good Smoke Bad Smoke”).
The Cook
Phase One
- 1Take your ribs out of the fridge or cooler and move them directly to your cooker. Lay them on the grate with the bone side down.
- 2Close the lid and leave it closed for 2 hours. Most of the smoking will happen in the early stages of cooking.
Phase Two
- 1After 2 hours, or whenever your ribs have taken on a nice mahogany color, take them off the smoker and place them on a double sheet of heavy-duty foil. (We can wrap them at this point without losing smoke flavor, since they will not absorb much smoke anyway from here on.)
- 2Spread 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of apple juice, a coating of Parkay margarine, and 2 tablespoons of honey or agave syrup over the ribs.
- 3Wrap the ribs in the foil and return them to the smoker or grill. (Alternatively, you can finish them in the oven to save fuel or for convenience.) Let them cook for about 3-1/2 hours for St. Louis ribs or 2-1/2 hours for baby back ribs.
- 4Check the ribs for doneness, starting with the thinnest racks, which will likely finish first. When they're done they should be tender, the meat should be starting to pull back from the bone ends, and, the internal temperature should be around 206–208 degrees. When you pick the rack up with tongs, it should bend into an L shape.
Finishing and Serving
- 1When you think they're ready, take the ribs off the smoker. Open the foil and apply a 50/50 coat of Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce and Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ Sauce to the top side of the ribs. To set the sauce, return the ribs to the smoker uncovered for 5–10 minutes.
- 2When the sauce is set, remove the ribs from the smoker. If you're ready to eat, you can slice and serve them immediately.
- 3If you aren't ready to eat yet, re-wrap the ribs in the foil and put them in a cooler. Fill any empty space in the cooler with newspaper or towels to help the ribs stay hot until it's time to slice and serve them.
- 4A cooler is also helpful if you are cooking multiple racks of ribs that are getting done at different times. Just take them off the cooker and place them in the cooler as they get done. Resting in the cooler will make the ribs nice and tender and let the meat re-absorb any lost juices.
That’s it! Enjoy your feast!
Don't Let Tough, Bland Meat Ruin Your Big Cookout
The single biggest key to eye-popping barbecue flavor is an excellent cut of meat. If you're feeling disappointed by the meat quality at your local grocery store, here's music to your ears: The Grillbillies freezers are packed with premium brisket, pork butts, ribeyes, hot dogs, bratwurst, bacon, and much more.
Visit our store to stock up on the same responsibly-sourced, high-grade meats our pitmasters reach for when it's time to make an impression. Your family and guests will taste the difference!