Smoked BBQ Spare Ribs

Smoked BBQ Spare Ribs

Smoked BBQ Spare Ribs

Ribs are definitely my specialty. This is the first time I get to smoke a rack of spare ribs in my smoker. I purchased a whole 5lbs spare rib rack with the riblet still attached. I like to remove the riblet and save for soups. In this case, I chopped them into smaller riblets and threw them in the brine with the rack. Then I dry rubbed them with my Jamaican jerk seasoning, smoked them, and tossed in Jamaican jerk bbq sauce. But that’s for another recipe. If your rack of ribs is too wide for your smoker, I suggest cutting them in half. It’s a little easier to handle.
There are a couple of approaches you can choose to do with your ribs. You can apply a dry rub to the ribs and let them marinate overnight in the refrigerator before smoking. Another way is to brine the ribs for 4 hours, then apply a dry rub. I like the amount of moisture and flavor that brining adds to meat, so I went that route. Once brined, pat dry with paper towels and apply the dry dry rub on both sides. Let the rack sit at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
Hickory is a great wood to use for smoking ribs. I added some peach wood in addition to add some sweetness to the smoke. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw in your rack. Maintain a smoking temp between 225-250 degrees for 4 hours. At the 4 hour point, brush on your favorite bbq sauce and smoke for another hour. Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Brining Time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Keyword: electric smoker, main course, Pork
Servings: 2
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Electric Smoker

Ingredients

  • 4-5 lb spare ribs
  • bbq sauce

Brine

  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 white onion sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 bay leaves

Dry Rub

  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Wood Chips

  • hickory wood chips
  • peach wood chips

Instructions

  • Mix the brining ingredients together.
    Smokers, main course, pork
  • Brine the ribs for at least 4 hours. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
    Smokers, main course, pork
  • Mix the dry rub ingredients together.
    Smokers, main course, chicken
  • Rub both sides of the ribs heavily with the dry rub. Let rest at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
    Smokers, main course, pork
  • Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw in the ribs. Maintain the smoking temp between 225-250 degrees for 4 hours.
    Smokers, main course, pork
  • Brush a layer of your favorite bbq sauce on the ribs. Smoke for at least 1 more hour.
    Smokers, main course, pork
  • Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
    Smokers, main course, pork
Smokers, main course, pork
Oooooooooo!
Smokers, main course, pork
My ribs go great with smoked garlic mashed potatoes.