Smoked Pork Spare Ribs

Succulent, pull-apart tender, perfectly smoked pork spare ribs

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$25, not including charcoal

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 6 30

Total Time 7 30

Course Barbecue

Cuisine American

Servings people

Calories 1275 kcal

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.

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.

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!