I will definitely make these again. Great flavor, nice and tender and juicy
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- baby back ribs enough for 2 people
- -- rub --
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/4 tbsp black pepper
- 1/4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/3 tsp celery seed
- 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
- -- mop sauce (optional) --
- 1/5 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 tbsp salt
- -- wood for smoking --
- 2 cups hickory or chunks soaked in water
- Carbohydrate 11.8861949223637 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.84418423613746 g
- Fiber 4.30115436387849 g
- Protein 3.19428334664803 g
- Saturated Fat 0.282667035206388 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (77g)
- Sodium 349.867528504709 mg
- Sugar 7.58504055848522 g
- Trans Fat 0.229960315105085 g
- Calories 77 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash the ribs and blot dry. Remove the thin papery skin on the back of each rack of ribs. (Pull it off in a sheet with you finger, using a corner of a dish towel to gain a secure grip.)
- Combine the ingredients for the rub (paprika, black pepper, sugar, salt, celery seed, cayenne, garlic powder, mustard and cumin) in a mixing bowl and stir with your finger to mix. Rub the mixture on the ribs on both sides. Transfer the ribs to a roasting pan and let marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Set up the grill for indirect grilling (no heat directly under the ribs) and preheat to medium (about 350 degrees). Place a drip to sit under the ribs. If using a gas grill, place all the chips in the smoker box or smoker pouch and preheat the grill to high. When smoke appears, lower the heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals.
- Place the ribs on the grill ove the drip pan and cover the grill. Cook the ribs until done, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Start basting with mop sauce afte 30 minutes, basting every 20 minutes thereafter. If using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals after 1 hour. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and it has shrunk back from the ends of the bones.
- Transfer the ribs to a cutting board or platter. Mop one final time with mop sauce. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce on the side.
Peeling the thin, tough membrane from the bone side of a rack of pork ribs requires patience, but executing this step properly dictates whether the spices penetrate the meat and how tender the final product becomes. Pulling this translucent silverskin away with the assistance of a dry dish towel grants the necessary traction, exposing the flesh so that the spice blend and overnight dry brine can actually draw moisture inward and season the protein throughout. Skipping this removal creates an impermeable barrier that blocks both smoke and seasoning from reaching the meat on the underside.
Indirect grilling demands careful temperature management, requiring the heat source to sit off to the side while a drip pan rests underneath the pork to catch rendered fat and prevent acrid flare-ups. Maintaining a steady medium heat of approximately 350 degrees inside a covered grill chamber allows hickory wood smoke to infuse the surface layers while the connective tissue slowly breaks down over the course of ninety minutes. For setups lacking a built-in smoker box or dedicated charcoal trays, heavy-duty aluminum foil folded into a perforated pouch works effectively as a makeshift packet for soaked wood chips placed directly over the burners.
Any leftover racks kept in the refrigerator within a sealed container for up to three days lend themselves well to efficient second-day transformations that avoid the dryness usually associated with reheated barbecue. Stripping the cold meat from the bones yields a savory protein base for quick skillet hashes, grain bowls, or folded fillings where the concentrated paprika and black pepper flavors anchor rapid weeknight preparations without requiring another multi-hour cooking cycle.
Gently warming shredded pork in a covered skillet alongside a splash of water or vinegar restores moisture before it joins other ingredients, preventing the lean outer edges from scorching during reheating. Incorporating these spiced remnants into morning eggs or midday salads utilizes surplus smoked meat efficiently, bypassing the need to start a grill from scratch while maintaining the bold profile established during the initial smoke session.
