Not Your Every Day Smoked Pork Spare Ribs Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, kosher salt, cumin, cinnamon, jalapeno seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Rub generously onto the pork spareribs. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect heat, or preheat a smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Soak wood chips (apple or cherry are our favorites).
• While the grill heats up, prepare the mop sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, lemon juice, jalapeno, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.
• When the coals are gray and ashed over, place 2 handfuls of soaked woodchips directly on them. Place the ribs on the grill grate bone-side down. Cover, and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Add more coals as needed. Baste with the mop sauce, and throw handfuls of soaked woodchips onto the coals every hour. Keep the temperature of the grill or smoker from going below 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Ribs are done when the rub has created a wonderful crispy blackened 'bark', and the meat has pulled away from the bone. Discard any leftover mop sauce.

Steps:

• Apply a light coat of yellow mustard to the pork ribs. (This is only meant to hold the rub on; not for flavoring.)
• Mix chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne together in a bowl and apply evenly to the pork ribs, front and back.
• In an offset smoker, light a fire with a hardwood of your choice. (We use oak but any hardwood will do.)
• When the smoker heats to approximately 275 degrees F, put the ribs on and maintain that temperature for 4 to 5 hours. Cook, checking the ribs hourly, until a toothpick goes through the meat between the ribs with little resistance. Brush with barbecue sauce and cook another 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with two layers of foil, shiny side out.
• Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.
• Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. If using, divide the Hickory liquid smoke evenly over the ribs.
• In a medium bowl, combine the light brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Apply the rub to all sides of the ribs.
• Lay ribs on the prepared baking sheet, meaty side down. BONE SIDE DOWN FOR GRILLING!
• Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.
• Transfer to the oven and = bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
• Remove from oven.
• Heat broiler.
• Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
• Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up.
• Brush on sauce.
• Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.
• Turn ribs over.
• Repeat on other side.
• Alternately, you can grill the ribs on your grill to cook on the sauce.

Steps:

• Brine: In a 1-gallon container, combine water, salt, and sugar. Seal and shake to dissolve salt and sugar, about 30 seconds. Lay ribs in large container; add the brine, making sure the ribs are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate 15-24 hours, optimally 20 hours.
• Smoke ribs: Light smoker and heat on 250 degrees F. (For smokier ribs with a pronounced internal "smoke ring," Pitmaster Jones suggest adding wood chips on top of the charcoal during the first hour of cooking.) Remove brined ribs and place on a flat surface. Par dry with paper towels on both sides. Sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub all over ribs on both sides; use your hands to work the rub in, making sure all of the ribs are covered.
• Place ribs bone-side down onto the grill. Cover and cook undisturbed for 3-3 1/2 hours. Check smoker temperature hourly; add charcoal and use vents as needed to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F through the duration of cooking.
• Stack 2 large sheets of aluminum foil on a flat work surface. After 3-3 1/3 hours, remove ribs from smoker and place on foil, bone-side down. Spread a small amount of Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce evenly over the meat. Wrap and place back in the grill, bone-side down, 30 minutes.
• Remove ribs from smoker and remove foil. Place back on smoker grates and cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove, cut into individual ribs, and serve.
• BBQ Spice Rub: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well to break up any lumps. (Optional: Use a food processor.) Makes about 4 cups. It will keep in a covered container at room temperature for several months. Before each use, stir the rub or shake well to re-distribute all the ingredients evenly.
• Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce, part 1: In a saucepan, combine the dry ingredients and mix well to break up any lumps. Add ketchup, melted butter, water, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer, stirring the entire time until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. (Keeping the heat low helps prevent the butter from separating and the sugar from burning.)
• Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce, part 2: Sauce is done when it thinly coats a spoon and has reduced by about ⅓. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Makes about 3 cups of Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. (It will keep for months, thanks to the vinegar.)