Smoked Spare Ribs Recipes

SMOKED SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Brine: In a 1-gallon container, combine water, salt, and sugar. Seal and shake to dissolve salt and sugar, about 30 seconds. Lay ribs in large container; add the brine, making sure the ribs are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate 15-24 hours, optimally 20 hours.
• Smoke ribs: Light smoker and heat on 250 degrees F. (For smokier ribs with a pronounced internal "smoke ring," Pitmaster Jones suggest adding wood chips on top of the charcoal during the first hour of cooking.) Remove brined ribs and place on a flat surface. Par dry with paper towels on both sides. Sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub all over ribs on both sides; use your hands to work the rub in, making sure all of the ribs are covered.
• Place ribs bone-side down onto the grill. Cover and cook undisturbed for 3-3 1/2 hours. Check smoker temperature hourly; add charcoal and use vents as needed to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F through the duration of cooking.
• Stack 2 large sheets of aluminum foil on a flat work surface. After 3-3 1/3 hours, remove ribs from smoker and place on foil, bone-side down. Spread a small amount of Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce evenly over the meat. Wrap and place back in the grill, bone-side down, 30 minutes.
• Remove ribs from smoker and remove foil. Place back on smoker grates and cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove, cut into individual ribs, and serve.
• BBQ Spice Rub: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well to break up any lumps. (Optional: Use a food processor.) Makes about 4 cups. It will keep in a covered container at room temperature for several months. Before each use, stir the rub or shake well to re-distribute all the ingredients evenly.
• Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce, part 1: In a saucepan, combine the dry ingredients and mix well to break up any lumps. Add ketchup, melted butter, water, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer, stirring the entire time until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. (Keeping the heat low helps prevent the butter from separating and the sugar from burning.)
• Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce, part 2: Sauce is done when it thinly coats a spoon and has reduced by about ⅓. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Makes about 3 cups of Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. (It will keep for months, thanks to the vinegar.)

NOT YOUR EVERY DAY SMOKED PORK SPARE RIBS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, kosher salt, cumin, cinnamon, jalapeno seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Rub generously onto the pork spareribs. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect heat, or preheat a smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Soak wood chips (apple or cherry are our favorites).
• While the grill heats up, prepare the mop sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, lemon juice, jalapeno, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.
• When the coals are gray and ashed over, place 2 handfuls of soaked woodchips directly on them. Place the ribs on the grill grate bone-side down. Cover, and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Add more coals as needed. Baste with the mop sauce, and throw handfuls of soaked woodchips onto the coals every hour. Keep the temperature of the grill or smoker from going below 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Ribs are done when the rub has created a wonderful crispy blackened 'bark', and the meat has pulled away from the bone. Discard any leftover mop sauce.

PELLET-GRILL SMOKED RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat a pellet grill to 275 degrees F (see Cook's Note). Combine 2 tablespoons salt, 4 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper and 2 teaspoons paprika in a small bowl. Rub each rack of ribs all over with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle evenly with the salt and spice mixture on both sides.
• Transfer the ribs, meat-side up, to the grill grates. Cover the grill and cook for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup cider vinegar with 1/3 cup water in a spray bottle. After 1 hour spray the ribs with the vinegar-water mixture so they are damp all over. Cover and cook for 1 more hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the ketchup, 3/4 cup water, the remaining 1/3 cup cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, hot sauce and the remaining 2 teaspoons paprika in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is warmed through and the sugar is melted, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Check the ribs and spray them again with vinegar-water. They should be starting to take on a red color from the smoke. Cover and cook until they are deep red, 30 to 45 minutes. Spray the ribs once more, then brush the meaty part of each rack with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Close the grill and cook for another 15 minutes so the sauce can set.
• Lay down two pieces of heavy-duty foil that are long enough to enclose each rack on a work surface and spread half of each sheet with 1/4 cup sauce. Transfer the rib racks, meat side down, onto the saucy part of the foil. Coat the bone sides with 1/4 cup sauce and a few sprays of the vinegar-water, then fold the foil over and seal tightly.
• Add another layer of foil if the first has punctured during wrapping. Transfer the ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and place on the grill (the baking sheet will catch any juices that leak out). Cover and cook until tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
• Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before carefully unwrapping (watch out for hot steam). Slice each rack into individual rib portions and serve with the remaining sauce.

LARRY'S SMOKED BBQ SPARE RIBS

Steps:

• Prepare an indirect fire with charcoal in a smoker or grill, according to manufacturer's instructions. Once the coals get going, add wood chips. Maintain a temperature of 230 to 260 degrees F (110 to 127 degrees F).
• Meanwhile, mix paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well combined. Spread rub all over ribs, making sure not to miss any spots.
• Place ribs on the preheated smoker or grill on the opposite side of the fire. Cover and smoke ribs, adding wood chips as needed to maintain temperature, until rub has set and looks dry, 1 to 2 hours. Baste with apple juice and continue to cook, basting every 30 minutes, for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours more.
• Brush BBQ sauce on both sides of the ribs, and cook for 15 minutes. Brush again, and cook until meat pulls away easily from the bone, 10 to 15 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

SMOKED SPARE RIBS

Steps:

• Remove the silverskin from the underside of your ribs and then season both sides with bbq rub. Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes and then dust with the rub again. Setup your smoker to smoke using indirect heat at 250 degrees. Smoke the ribs at 250 for approximately six and a half hours. After 90 minutes of smoke spritz the ribs with a 50/50 combo of apple juice and apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes until the 4 hour mark. At the 4 hour mark start mopping the ribs with your mop sauce every 45 minutes. The ribs are done when the internal temp of the ribs hits 190-200 degrees or they pass the bend test. Typically takes about 6 hours, but it's different for every rack of ribs.