One of our favorite meats to smoke is pork spare ribs! Honestly, we can’t get enough of them! These Texas-style ribs are good for every occasion and always come out packed with flavor and extremely tender. With this recipe, you can give your family and friends a taste of that classic Texas BBQ known throughout the world!

Instructions

1. Begin by building a fire in the Char-Griller offset smoker. You want to get a nice bed of coals going in the fire box and then start to add the wood. Shoot for a temperature of 275 F. While you are waiting for the smoker to get up to temp you can begin the prepping process for the ribs.

2. Unwrap the ribs and begin the trimming process. Most spare-ribs that you find at your local grocery store will have the breast bone attached. Be sure to remove the breast bone which is located at the top of the rack.

3. Next, remove the skirt and any excess fat that may be hanging off the backside of the ribs.

4. Now it is up to you to decide if you want to remove the membrane on the backside or not. If you chose to remove the membrane a helpful tip would be to use a butter-knife to help lift the membrane up, and then a dry napkin to pull it off (this will help to not damage your ribs.)

5. Lastly, shape it up and make sure there are no excess pieces coming off the rack or bones hanging out. You want to make it as aerodynamic as possible.

6. Combine the kosher salt and coarse black pepper into a shaker for easy application. Apply 1 tsp of olive oil to the backside of the ribs and gently rub into the meat. Follow up with a nice even coat of your seasoning. Flip it to the meat side up (presentation side) and repeat the process.

7. Once your smoker has reached 275 F it is time to put the ribs on. Place a water pan next to the fire box to assist with added moisture and then place your ribs towards the smoke-stack section of the grill. Maintain 275 F and let the smoker do the work.

8. Around the 2-hour mark it is time to check for color. Open the smoker and lightly spritz the ribs with the spritz mixture to help reveal the true color. If it is looking golden brown/mahogany then you know it is almost time to wrap.

9. Apply a thin layer of the BBQ sauce to the ribs and spread it evenly. Spritz lightly again and close the lid to let the sauce set.

10. After 15 minutes flip the ribs meat side down and repeat the sauce and spritz process. Let set for another 15 minutes. At this point you should be around the 2 ½ hour mark.

11. Once the sauce has set on both sides it is time to wrap. Lay the aluminum foil down and apply the spritz and a thin layer of BBQ sauce onto the foil. Place the ribs meat-side down onto the foil mixture. Spritz the back side and add another thin layer of BBQ sauce.

12. Wrap the ribs tightly and make sure that no meat is exposed.

Tip: Remove any rough edges or bones that may be starting to break free before you wrap the ribs. You do not want anything to poke a hole in your foil wrap and cause the juices to come out.

13. Put the wrapped ribs back on the smoker meat side down, continuing at 275 F. Maintain heat for another 1 ½ - 2 hours. Check to see if the ribs are done by picking them up with fire-safe gloves and checking for softness and pliability (you can also use a toothpick to feel for tenderness.)

14. Once the ribs are pliable and tender you can pull them from the smoker and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes.

15. Slice the ribs and enjoy with your family and friends!

BBQ sauce for this recipe should be thin and not overly thick or sweet. If all you have is a thick BBQ sauce then you can use water or apple cider vinegar to help dilute it. The key is to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn or make the ribs too clumpy or sticky.