Let’s BBQ spare ribs!
It’s summertime which means we are spending all our time around the grill! One of our favorite things to grill are pork ribs.
Here in Austin, Texas you’ll find a lot of beef at famous BBQ restaurants, but pork isn’t as common.
That’s why we like to cook pork ribs at home! We love to serve these ribs with our Apple Cabbage Slaw, Southern Corn Pudding with Brown Butter, and Bisquick cheddar biscuits.
Today we’re reaching for Smithfield® Ribs for our Spare rib recipe. They offer both fresh pork spare ribs as well as baby back ribs.
Smithfield has a number of products great for the grill. Whether you whip up homemade ribs using our rib rub recipe or choose a pre-marinated pork loin that can go straight on the grill, no prep time required.
We picked up the ribs for this recipe at our local Walmart.
Baby Back vs. Spare Ribs
Pork ribs differ in size. There are often two types, spare and baby back. Smithfield offers both types of ribs.
Pork spare ribs come from the belly region of the pig and are meatier than baby back ribs.
These ribs come from the section near where bacon comes from.
Baby Back Ribs, on the other hand, come from the loin end and have less fat content than Spare Ribs.
They are smaller, typically more tender and usually a bit more expensive.
There’s no right or wrong here, it’s just a personal preference.
For this recipe, we reached for spare ribs.
Smoked Ribs
One of the most important steps in cooking smoked ribs is to maintain consistent heat throughout the process.
We recommend using a smoker or grill with an internal temperature gauge for this reason!
For this recipe, we started by soaking our wood chunks in water. If you are using a pellet grill, omit this step.
Next, we preheated the smoker to 250 degrees F.
Then add your ribs that have already been trimmed and seasoned to the smoker. Our delicious rib rub recipe is sweet, smoky, with a little heat and is listed below.
Put the ribs directly on the smoker for 3 ½ to 4 hours.
Avoid the temptation to open the smoker and check on them, which will cause the heat to escape the smoker.
The best way to know if your smoked meat is done at home is by checking its tenderness and color:
- When smoked pork ribs are done, they will be tender to the touch.
- The meat should have a nice pink hue throughout and not look translucent in some spots.
- If smoked pork ribs still feel tough or rubbery after cooking, you may need to cook them longer.
What Temperature Are Pork Ribs Done?
Most people know that the minimum temperature for pork to be safely consumed is 145 degrees F.
However, when it comes to ribs, you want to have a higher temperature in order to break down the collagen and connective tissues.
Depending on the type of pork rib you are cooking, here are the recommended internal temperatures to achieve tender ribs:
- Pork Baby Back Ribs – 185-195 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pork Spare Ribs -190-205 degrees Fahrenheit
Pork Rib Tips
Looking for the most lip-smacking ribs? These tips will help you achieve pork perfection:
- Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs prior to seasoning and cooking. Usually you can remove the membrane with your bare hands or a butter knife.
- Thoroughly season your ribs. Salt will help to make your meat extra juicy. Put your rub on your ribs the night before your cookout and wrap in plastic wrap for an extra tender rack of ribs.
- BBQ sauce should only go on the ribs towards the end of cooking. Otherwise, the sugars can caramelize and burn if on the BBQ flame for too long. For this recipe we added our homemade bbq sauce after they were removed from the smoker.
- Let the ribs rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. We add tin foil over the ribs to help steam the meat during this resting period.
Pork Rib Rub Recipe
Rather than spending money on a whole container of rib rub (that you might not even like the flavor), why not make your own?!
When you find a rub combination you love you can make it in bulk or just whip up what you need for that specific grill out.
You can even wrap it up as a cute rib rub gift or stocking stuffer idea!
Our pork rib rub is a mix of sweet and smoky with a kiss of heat. The salt helps to tenderize the meat, and the other spices add a lot of flavor!
It would also be a great seasoning for the outside of a smoked loaded baked potato.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons coarse Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisking together with a fork.
- Coat your ribs with the rub. One batch should be enough for one rack of ribs.
Rib Rub Recipe
This homemade pork rib rub recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and smoky, with a kiss of heat!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coarse Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisking together with a fork.
- Coat your ribs with the rub. One batch should be enough for one rack of ribs.
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