Smoked Pork Spare Ribs are perfect for the fall barbecue season. Follow this recipe, and my Smoking Meats guide to make succulent, delicious, pull-apart tender smoked pork ribs that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors.
Smoked Pork Spare Ribs Recipe
Smoked Pork Spare Ribs
Equipment
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- basting mop
- small sauce pan
Ingredients
For the Meat
- 2 racks pork spare ribs – trimmed with silvering removed
For the Rub
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 4 tbsp paprika
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tsp onion powder
- 3 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
For the Mop Sauce
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar – packed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes – crushed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper – ground
Instructions
Prepare the Ribs
- Remove the ribs from their packaging. Rinse under cool water, and thoroughly dry with paper towels.2 racks pork spare ribs
- Using a sharp knife, remove the flap of meat from the back side of the rack of ribs. Smoke this separately the same way you smoke the ribs. It's a nice morsel of meat you can keep for yourself!
- Remove the silvering from the ribs. This is the thin but tough membrane you will find on the back of the rack. Removing this material helps the smoke to penetrate the meat, and makes the ribs easier to chew. Use a paper towel between your fingers to grab an edge of silvering, then try to remove it all at once with a good strong pull.
- Get as much of the silvering off that you can. The ribs are now ready for the rub.
Apply the Rub
- Squirt a line of yellow mustard along the full length of both sides of each rack.1/4 cup yellow mustard
- Use your hands to slather the mustard covering the entire surface of the meat.
- Combine all of the rub ingredients. This can be done in advance – the rub will keep in your pantry indefinitely. Generously apply the rub to each side of the mustard covered ribs. I like to keep my pre-made rub in a spice container, which makes it easy to evenly apply.4 tbsp paprika, 4 tsp kosher salt, 4 tsp garlic powder, 4 tsp onion powder, 3 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin
- Pat the rub into the mustard, making sure to get a good and thorough coverage. Flip the rib over, and do the same thing to the other side.
Prepare the Mop Sauce
- To smoke the ribs, follow my guide on Smoking Meats. Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part of the ribs. After about one hour, and every hour after that, gently baste the ribs with mop sauce, and flip them over. Repeat this until the ribs are done.2 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- The ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 203℉. These turned out great. I can't wait to dig in!
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Smoking Meats
Follow my guide for Smoking Meats to learn how to manage a low and slow heat during a long smoke. This skill is required when making really great smoked ribs. I also have a detailed timeline described in my blog post, 4th of July Smoke-out.
Variations
Rubs
In this recipe, I’m using Gaspard’s Butt Rub, my go-to dry rub for making pulled pork. It also works great on smoked pork chops, spare ribs, or picnic roast. It has a mild flavor that tastes great without overpowering the flavor of the smoked meats.
As an alternative, try my basic Pork Rub, which has a little more sweet, and a little more heat. Both are great options, depending on your mood.
Mop Sauces
In this recipe, I’m using a basic vinegar mop sauce. When using a mop sauce, lightly dab the sauce onto the meat. You want just enough to moisten the meat without washing away the rub.
The rub needs to stay on the meat for the entire smoke so that it will transform into a delicious bark. A good bark will take smoked pork ribs to a whole new level of excellence.
For a bolder flavor, try my Carolina Mop Sauce. It’s a tangy, sweet, and spicy mop sauce for smoking pork. Make sure you adjust the red pepper flakes to your liking, because it can add a lot of peppery heat to smoked ribs!
Barbecue Sauces
If you like barbecue sauce, try Gaspard’s Texas BBQ Sauce, which tastes great on smoked pork ribs. Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce, and Gaspard’s Badass BBQ Sauce are also tasty options. These sauces are best applied just before or after the ribs are removed from the smoker.
Related Recipes
Gaspard’s Texas BBQ Sauce
Gaspard’s Gold BBQ Sauce
Gaspard’s Badass Barbecue Sauce
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