On this 4th of July Smoke-out, I made Smoked Spare Ribs, Smoked Polish Sausages, and Smoked Baked Beans. I made homemade sauces, like my Carolina Mop Sauce, and Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce. DaLynn made her special Red White and Blue Potato Salad – my favorite! And we had heirloom tomato relish from the garden. It was a feast to remember!
It was definitely a long day of smoking meats. I’ve chronicled it all here on a timeline, including pictures of each step, and links to the recipes I used. I’ve includes tips and tricks I’ve learned to help elevate your skills. I hope it inspires you to barbecue something! It was lot’s of fun, and the results were spectacular!
4th of July Smoke-out, part 1
6:30 AM – Prepping the Ribs
Rinse and Dry the Ribs
I removed a rack of spare ribs from its package, then I rinsed and dried it with paper towels.
Remove the Silvering
I removed the silvering – that’s the thin but super-tough membrane on the back of the ribs. Removing it allows the smoke to better penetrate the meat, makes the ribs much easier to chew.
Trim the Flap
I removed the flap of meat that you will find on the back of the rack of spare ribs. I’ll be smoking that too, and probably chopping it up to make a delicious sandwich.
Slather on the Mustard
Next, I slathered the ribs all over with yellow mustard. I also slathered the flap that I had trimmed.
Apply Rub
Finally, I covered the ribs and the flap completely with Pork Rub, working it into all of the cracks and crevices. I left the ribs out to come up to room temperature, while I prepped the smoker.
Related Recipes
4th of July Smoke-out, part 2
7:30 AM – Prepping the Smoker
Offset Firebox Smoker
I have a heavy-gauge steel smoker with an offset firebox. I love this thing, and I have made some amazing smoked barbecue on it. It has its nuances though, and it has taking me a while to learn how to maintain a low and slow smoke. I’ll show you how I have learned to manage it.
My smoker is a 20″ Classic “Icon” Horizon Smoker that I had custom made in Perry, Oklahoma. It has been an excellent smoker, and I have used it to make. some excellent barbecue!
Make the Bed
Start with a small bed of charcoal, at the outer edge of your firebox.
Fill the Chimney
Fill a starter chimney about halfway up with good quality oak lump charcoal.
Light the Coals
Use a fire starter and light the coals in the chimney. Let them burn in the chimney until they are red-hot.
Pour the Hot Coals
Pour the hot coals directly on top of the small bed of coals you started with in the fire box.
Open the Vents
Open both the intake and the exhaust vent all of the way while the smoker heats up. Keep the exhaust vent 100% open at all times during the smoke. When the temperature reaches 250 degrees, adjust the input vent until the temperature stabilizes.
Monitor the Temperature
During the smoke, keep an eye on the smoker temperature. If it starts to steadily decline, you may need to add more charcoal. Add a small amount at a time on top of the hot coals to keep an even temperature.
Pro Tips
- You do not want thick smoke billowing from the smoker! What you want is a thin, blue, barely noticeable smoke. This comes from keeping a small fire, good charcoal, and moderate airflow through the smoker.
- Keep the exhaust vent open, and adjust the intake vent to regulate the temperature and smoke.
- Do not overfill the firebox with fuel! This makes it almost impossible to regulate.
- Never use lighter fluid. This makes a thick black smoke that will almost certainly ruin the flavor of your meat!
Meat Should Be Room Temperature
When smoking meats, it is important to allow meats to warm to room temperature before introducing it to the smoker. If the meat is too cool, it will create condensation that will cause creosote to form. This is black, bitter, and ugly. You do not want it on your meat!
Adjust for Weather
I find that the time it takes to heat up the smoker, and the ability to keep the temperature stabilized depends largely on the weather. Smoking when it is warm outside seems much easier than when it is cold.
4th of July Smoke-out, part 3
8:00 AM – Smoking the Ribs
The smoker temperature is holding to a steady 250 degrees F. Time to put the ribs on the smoker! Start with ribs directly on the grate with the bone side facing down.
4th of July Smoke-out, part 4
8:30 AM – Making the Sauces
Today I’ll be making my Carolina Mop Sauce which I will be using to baste the Smoked Spare Ribs while they smoke. I’ll also be making Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce, my go-to barbecue sauce for smoked pork.
Make the Mop Sauce
Make the Mop Sauce on the stove top in a small saucepan, then bring it to the smoker, and keep it warm on the firebox for the duration of the smoke.
Simmer the Mop Sauce
I’ve got my barbecue sauce simmering in a pan. It only needs to simmer for 5 minutes.
Dab the Mop Sauce
When it’s time to baste the ribs, use a sauce mop to dab on the mop sauce. Don’t paint it on like a brush or you will remove the rub and keep it from making a bark.
Make the BBQ Sauce
The BBQ Sauce is done! Now I just need something to dip into it.
Related Recipes
Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce
Sweet and spicy South Carolina style mustard-based BBQ sauce.Check Out This Recipe
4th of July Smoke-out, part 5
9:00 AM – Smoking and Basting
Baste and Flip the Ribs
Baste the ribs with the mop sauce, then flip them over with the meat facing down. Continue to baste and flip every 45 minutes, or when the previous baste has dried. Be quick about it when you do, or else you will waste the heat that is in the smoker.
Monitor the Temperature
Keep a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat and try not to let it touch bone. Keep an eye on the internal temperature. The ribs are done when the internal temperature is 203 degrees F, or when it passes the bend test.
4th of July Smoke-out, part 6
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM – Smoking the Ribs
Cook Time
Depending on a number of different factors, the total cook time could be as short as 5 ½ hours, or as long as 9 hours. This time I used a rather meaty rack of ribs, and it took 8 ½ hours to smoke!
Ribs are Done
Finally, the ribs are done. By grabbing the rack in the middle and lifting up, the meat drapes easily, and is cracked a bit on top. This is called the bend test. The ribs should feel loose, but not fall apart, which would mean they are overcooked.
Get Ready to Dig In!
The ribs look amazing! There is a beautiful bark, and they are pull-apart tender. I can’t wait to dig in!
4th of July Smoke-out, part 7
11:00 AM – The Sausage and Beans
Prep the Beans
I have a medium Dutch oven that I use on my smoker. First I prepped the Smoked Baked Beans in the kitchen.
Prep the Sausage
I removed the Polish sausages from their wrappers, and allowed them to come to room temperature.
Smoke the Sausage and Beans
I smoked the beans and sausage beside the ribs for 3 hours until they were done. Then I removed them to the kitchen to wait on the ribs.
Sausage is Done
The sausage came out great. I love getting a little bit of charring and splitting on the sausage.
Beans are Done
The Smoked Baked Beans came out great, too. They have a wonderful sweet, savory, smokey flavor, and they look amazing!
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4th of July Smoke-out, part 8
1:00 PM – Making the Potato Salad
Red, White and Blue Potato Salad
On 4th of July each year, DaLynn makes my favorite potato salad. Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad. It has red potatoes, pickled red onions, creamy mayonnaise and sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon! I can’t wait – I’m drooling in anticipation!
This potato salad is so good. I wish I got it more than once or twice a year!
4th of July Smoke-out, part 9
4:30 PM – Let’s Eat!
Finally, everything is done. What a day! And what a feast! Smoked Spare Ribs, Smoked Sausage, Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce, Smoked Baked Beans, Red White and Blue Potato Salad, and fresh heirloom tomato salad. It was a lot of work, but we did it!
I hope you can use this as inspiration for a great smoke-out.
Happy 4th of July!
The End
What a day! That was fun, but I’m wiped out! Time for a cocktail. The next one of these I do, I may have a bigger party. I’ll add smoked chicken and brisket if I do. Here’s a recap of the recipes I used today:
Related Recipes
Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce
Cucumber Tomato Relish
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