Pork Ribs are one of the most popular meats to smoke during BBQ season and are also one of the easiest BBQ items to cook. There are so many different techniques that we have shared on this site from "Texas Style" to competition style ribs. In this easy 3 step recipe we show you a technique that is inspired by competition style as we wrap in aluminum foil in step number 2. That wrap allows you to include liquids for flavor and moisture that can also set the direction of your flavor profile. We use our popular Gospel All-Purpose Rub in this recipe since it delivers the best color in BBQ. Feel free to make my recipes your own by changing flavor profiles as you see fit!
Meat Church How To YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/GOApIzQ6lD4
Ingredients
- 1 rack pork spare ribs (sub baby backs)
- Meat Church The Gospel All-Purpose to taste
-
1 - 2 T yellow mustard to slather
Wrap & Glaze
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 C light brown sugar
- Texas Pepper Jelly Apple Cherry HabaneroÂ
- Meat Mitch Whomp BBQ Sauce (sub your fav sauce)
Prepare your smoker or pellet grill
Prepare your smoker at 275 degrees. We used a Traeger Woodridge with Meat Church pellets (0ak\Hickory) in this video, but hickory, pecan, cherry or apple wood would also be good choices.
Prep the ribs
Trim off any excess fat from around the ribs including the flap often found on the back side. Round the edges.
Flip the ribs meat side down and remove the membrane off the back of the rack. This is very easily accomplished by grabbing the membrane with a paper towel and pulling it off. Removing the membrane will allow your rub to penetrate into the meat more effectively and also provide a more pleasant eating experience.
Apply a light coat of mustard all over the ribs to act as a binder for the seasoning.Â
Season both sides of the the ribs with The Gospel All-Purpose seasoning.
Allow the seasoning to adhere for 15 minutes or up to one hour. Make sure they are totally "sweated out."
Smoke the Ribs
Place the ribs meat side up in the smoker.
Optionally, spritz the ribs with apple cider vinegar about 90 minutes into the cook if they look dry.Â
Continue smoking the ribs
Smoke the ribs until you get a beautiful mahogany color. In this video, that took 2 1/2 hours.Â
Lay out 2 long pieces of aluminum foil to wrap the ribs to protect that color and to be able to add liquid. Lay the ribs bone side down.
Top with pats of the 1\2 stuck of butter, the brown sugar and a heavy bead of Texas Pepper Jelly.
Close the foil tightly.Â
Return the ribs to the smoker and continue to cook until meat has started to pull back. You are looking for tenderness while probing with an instant read thermometer which is typically around an internal temp of 203 - 205. This typically takes 1 - 2 hours or so depending on the size of the ribs. It took about an hour in this video.Â
Make a glaze
Heat 2:1 Meat Mitch Whomp sauce to Texas Pepper jelly in a small sauce pan.
Finish the Ribs
Remove the ribs from the smoker. Open the foil and create a foil boat with the ribs meat side up.
Apply the glaze to the meat side by drizzling it on, which gives a better appearance than brushing it on.
Return the ribs to the smoker just long enough for the sauce to tack up which is about 15 minutes.
Remove the ribs from the smoker.
Allow to sit for a few minutes. Then slice.
Enjoy!
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