Since the dawn of man, humans have been putting pork on the pit. Someone thousands of years ago smoked the first pork ribs and then a few weeks later… one of them whipped up some barbeque sauce. Thus, slow cooked BBQ ribs were born. 

Here we are many eons later smoking pork ribs to perfection. This recipe includes the rub and instructions to make some serious ribs. It is a general recipe. It can vary to your taste and equipment. Not all of us own elaborate smokers like our ancestors did. If you have a pit, you need to separate it into two sides. One side has the coals (and is also where your “soaked in water” smoke chips go) and the other side is where you place the meat. Indirect heat… slow and low. I use a good-sized Lang Smoker but it is still indirect heat. That is the key…keeping the smoker at about 215 to 225 degrees while the ribs are cooking is essential. Also good to know is that this recipe is for three racks of ribs (they usually come three to a pack.)

First, you remove the so-called membrane on the back of the ribs. It is also known as the silver skin…probably a Cro-Magnon phrase. It should be peeled off. Just grab it at one end and pull it back slowly. If you have a problem getting it started, you can use a very clean pair of pliers. (It’s O.K., everyone does it, they just don’t tell you that they do.) 

Some people do not remove the skin. They say it has no effect on the cooking. Some folks believe (as I do) that if the seasoning has to penetrate that membrane, it will not be as well seasoned. Besides, I do not want to eat it either. 

The second thing is the rub. Here is my recipe. I use it more often on pork shoulder but I also use it on ribs. It has a bit of a bite but that is how we like it. You can use your own rub. Maybe one handed down from a Neanderthal ancestor. Use a store bought variety, a friend’s or make up one of your own. 

DRY RUB RECIPE:

• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons of garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons of onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of chipotle chili pepper
• ¼ cup of smoked paprika
• ¼ cup of kosher salt
• ¼ cup of black pepper

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Mix it all together. That’s about it. 

After a generous coating of the rub on both sides and the edges, place it in a really big (3X) Ziploc bag and into the fridge overnight. Take it out about one half hour before you are ready to cook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get your smoker/pit up to about 250 degrees. Make sure you have your coals (if it is a pit) on one side so the ribs can be placed on the other side to cook with indirect heat. Once the top is opened up and the meat is placed on the pit (bone side down) the temperature will drop a bit. After you close the lid, try to keep the temperature 215 to 225 degrees.

 

The next part is where we get opposing opinions. Some people I know like to marinate the ribs before they put on the rub and when they do, they apply the rub lightly. (Marinade recipe below. Soak ribs overnight.) It is totally up to you. I like a lot of rub. It makes a barrier of sorts… almost like blackening. Some people also like to cook them at a higher temperature than I do and cook them for less time. Since I have them heavily coated with rub some folks believe they will dry out. That is why I keep a sprayer filled with apple juice. About every fifteen minutes, open up the pit and spray them well with the juice. Others may cook theirs for two to three hours at 250. I do mine for 3 ½ to 4 hours at 215 to 225. In either case, make sure you spray it with juice often. 

MARINADE RECIPE:

• 2 cups of apple juice
• ½ cup of orange juice
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1/8 cup of kosher salt
• ¼ cup of honey

Put it all in a pot on the stove and warm it up enough to blend with the honey and sugar dissolved. Let it cool before you put it in with the ribs.

In the kitchen, pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees. Once the time is up on the pit, put the ribs on top of three pieces of aluminum foil that are stacked and large enough to fold over and form into tents. Once they are individually placed on the foil, cover them on all sides with your favorite BBQ sauce. Slather it on really good. Fold the foil into airtight tents and place them in the oven. Leave them there for two hours. Remove the ribs from the oven and place them in an aluminum pan to rest for one half hour. Now open the tents and slice into individual servings.

 

 

 

There are a million ways to cook ribs and this is just one of them. This is not an exact science. Try different variations. With sauce, without sauce. Marinate, do not marinate. Just try to cook them low and slow with lots of spraying for moisture. I sometimes wonder if BBQ was just an excuse for the cave man to invent the spray bottle. Just a theory.