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sliced rib bones on wooden board
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4.82 from 11 votes

Smoked Baby Back Ribs

Smoking a great rack of baby back ribs comes down mastering this basic method and learning pitmaster tricks to cooking with your senses.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 racks baby back ribs
  • 1/4 cup barbecue rub
  • 1/2 cup apple cider or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  • Heat the smoker to 250F degrees.
  • Remove the silverskin from the back side of the ribs.
  • Sprinkle the backside of each rack of ribs with 1 tablespoon of rub. Let rest 15minutes.
  • Flip and sprinkle the top side of each rack with 1 tablespoon of rub. Let rest 15 minutes.
  • Place on the smoker, and smoke for about 2 1/2 hours, spritzing with apple cider or apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes.
  • Lay two large sheets of foil on the counter. Top each with another sheet of foil, so you have a double layer.
  • Slice the stick of butter into 8 tablespoons. Slice those in half vertically.  
  • Place 4 slices of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar on each piece of foil in a vertical line about where the ribs will lie on the foil.
  • Add the ribs on top of the butter and sugar – bone-side-up.
  • Place 4 slices of butter and 2 tablespoon of brown sugar along the back side of each rack. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of honey on top.
  • Fold up the foil and seal tightly.
  • Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker with the bones facing up.
  • Smoke for 1 hour. Check the feel to see how flexible they are. If they bend, remove them from the smoker. If they’re still firm, continue cooking, checking every 15 minutes. If the internal temp is around 205F, you should be good.
  • Remove the ribs from the foil and place on the grill, bone-side-down.
  • If you like dry ribs, spritz with apple cider vinegar and sprinkle with a little more rub.
  • If you like sauce, brush with barbecue sauce.
  • Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the smoker and rest for 15 minutes.
  • Flip the ribs upside down (bones up). Sprinkle with a light dusting of rub, and slice between the bones.

Video

Notes

While I like to spritz my ribs with apple cider or apple cider vinegar, you can use any liquid. Beer, cola and even water work well, too.
For the wrap, I enjoy the flavor combo of butter, brown sugar and honey, but you can also add grape juice, cola or beer. Get creative.
You don't have to measure all of these ingredients. The measurements are just here as a guide. 

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg