‘Low and slow’ is the key to my Smoked Baby Back Ribs recipe. Chunks of wood that have been soaked overnight and charcoal are the best for a deep, rich smoky flavor. Most of the time I use hickory or mesquite, and since I have 3 pecan trees in my garden, I mix in some of that as well.
Smoking baby back ribs isn’t really so much of a recipe as it is a process. The dry rub recipe and the BBQ sauce recipe are important, but not nearly as important as how you smoke the ribs. A good dry rub is a must and it’s not hard to make your own. My dry rub recipe is listed below with the Barbeque Sauce recipe.
When smoking ribs, it’s important not to peek. Keep that lid closed in order to maintain a constant temperature. Under the lower grate, I lined the bottom of my smoker with fireplace bricks. The bricks get hot and keep a nice constant temperature inside the smoker. So even when I do have to open the lid, to rearrange the meat or dab some mop sauce on it, the smoker takes right around 20 seconds to return to the proper temperature of 225F, it’s a pretty good trick.
How to Prepare Pork Ribs
To prepare for smoking baby back ribs, clear your countertops and sink. This is a big piece of raw pork with a lot of juice on it, so you want to control what it comes in contact with. The goal is to not cross-contaminate anything you don’t want raw pork touching.
Rinse and pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. On the one side of the ribs, is a thin silvery skin-like membrane. Slide a paring knife under the membrane at one end, try not to tear it. Grab the membrane and gently pull it off, most of the time it comes off in one piece. However, sometimes it’s a little more stubborn, but it doesn’t take long and is easy with a little practice.
Place the ribs in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet tray. Sprinkle the ribs with a good coating of dry rub on both sides. Massage the rub into the ribs, making sure every surface of the meat is well seasoned. Now the ribs are ready to go on the smoker.
Now, decontaminate your kitchen 😉
Light your charcoal an hour before you start smoking so your smoker is at the temperature as soon as the meat goes in. Cover the lower grate and bricks with foil, then place a drip pan full of boiling water in it. The water will help keep the temperature stable and provide a nice moist environment for smoking ribs.
Place the ribs on the smoker bone side down, do not add any sauce to the ribs at this time. Close the main lid and add the chunks of soaked wood to the fire pit. Maintain a temperature of 225F for 4-5 hours, you don’t want the meat to fall off the bone, but you don’t want it rubbery either. If you pick up the rack of ribs and it feels a little rubbery, it’s not done. If you lift one of the bones up it should stay up, if it springs back into place, it’s not done.
You get the idea, tender good, rubbery bad!
My BBQ sauce recipe is pretty amazing if I do say so myself. Thick, and a deep dark brown, with a nice vinegar and mustard flavor and a kick of heat from chili powder and Cholula hot sauce, my mouths watering just thinking of it. I don’t puree it, I prefer to leave the bits of onions and the coarse ground mustard visible, it just looks prettier I think.
Only add the sauce during the last 30 minutes or so, some folks don’t add any sauce, rather serve it on the side as a dipping sauce. If you do this, I’d just put the sauce on the stove and bring to a simmer so it’s nice and warm.
Here are my BBQ Sauce and Dry Rub recipes:
Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
Barbeque Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 1 Cup Red Onion Finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 1/4 Cup Malt Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Coarse Ground Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Lime Juice only
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Mustard
Instructions
Barbeque Sauce
- Place a large, covered, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
- Add olive oil and onion, sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened
- Add Garlic and chili powder, stir constantly for 1 minute, it will stick a little, but it’s important to cook out the raw flavor of the chili powder
- Add all remaining ingredients, stir constantly for 10-15 minutes until nicely thickened
- Remove from heat and store in a mason jar in the refrigerator
Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub
- Combine all dry rub ingredients in a bowl, mix to combine
Bennie
Do you have a recipe for the mop? And at what point(s) do you apply the mop?
Steven
Hi Bennie! My BBQ sauce recipe is at the end of the post. I don’t really use a mop for this particular recipe, if I add the sauce during the cooking process at all, it is during the last 30 minutes or so. Usually, when I smoke ribs, I let the smoke and the dry rub do all the talking and serve the sauce on the side, or brush it on at the last minute.