How to Cook Baby Back Ribs in Smoker

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Baby back ribs are great on the grill, but a little smoke can really improve the flavor. Create a classic dry rub with brown sugar, paprika, and seasonings. Rub this over the meat before you smoke it for several hours. Smoke the ribs using hickory wood chunks and keep the heat low, so the meat becomes tender. Serve the smoked baby back ribs with plenty of napkins!

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 slabs baby back ribs
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) paprika
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
• ½ teaspoon (1 g) cayenne pepper
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce

Makes 3 to 4 servings

1. 1

   Trim off the membrane from 3 to 4 slabs of baby back ribs. Insert the tip of a butter knife underneath the thin, white silver membrane to loosen it a little. Take a paper towel and use it to grip the silver membrane. Pull the membrane completely off and discard it.^[1]

   • If you leave the membrane on, the membrane will become tough and chewy as the ribs cook.

2. 2

   Combine the dry rub. Get out a small bowl and measure all of the dry rub ingredients into it. Use your fingers or a spoon to mix together:^[2]

   • 2 tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar
   • 1 teaspoon (2 g) paprika
   • 1 teaspoon (2 g) fresh cracked black pepper
   • 1 teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
   • 1 teaspoon (2 g) garlic powder
   • 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
   • ½ teaspoon (1 g) cayenne pepper

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3. 3

   Coat the ribs with the dry rub. Spread the dry rub evenly over the baby back ribs. Use your fingers to rub the seasonings into both sides of the ribs.^[3]

4. 4

   Cure the ribs for at least for hours. If you can, completely wrap the ribs in plastic wrap so they're sealed. Put them in the refrigerator and let them chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight to absorb the flavors.^[4]

   • If you don't have the time, you can begin smoking the ribs instead.

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1. 1

   Arrange the briquettes for a burn-down. Get out an 18 pound (8 kg) bag of charcoal briquettes. Dump enough unlit coals to fill the charcoal bed of the smoker or the grate of the grill.^[5]

2. 2

   Light and add hot coals. Take a handful of coals and put them in a chimney. Light the coals and once they're hot, carefully scatter them evenly over the top of the unlit coals.^[6]

   • The hot coals on the top will slowly burn down and light the coals underneath them. This will ensure that the smoker or grill maintains a low heat for a long time.

3. 3

   Soak hickory wood chunks for 30 minutes. Open a bag of hickory wood chunks. Place 6 to 8 chunks in a bowl with warm water. Let the wood soak for 30 minutes. Soaking the wood will help it slowly release smoke instead of burning quickly.^[7]

4. 4

   Scatter soaked chips with dry hickory chips on the coals. Lift the soaked chunks out of the water and place them evenly across the coals in the smoker. Take 8 to 10 dry hickory wood chunks and arrange them evenly between the soaked chunks.^[8]

   • The dry wood will quickly release smoke and the soaked wood will begin to release smoke once the dry wood is finishing.

5. 5

   Heat the grill or smoker between 225 °F (107 °C) and 250 °F (121 °C). Many smokers will have a thermometer installed or you can place one in the smoker. Check the temperature to ensure that it's between 225 °F (107 °C) and 250 °F (121 °C) before you smoke the ribs.^[9]

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1. 1

   Arrange the ribs on a grilling rack. Once the grill or smoker has heated, set a grilling rack in it. Set each rack of seasoned ribs into the rack so there's 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of space in between the racks. If you can, position the grilling rack over indirect heat.^[10]

   • For example, try moving the grilling rack to towards the side of the grill or smoker so it's not directly over the hot coals.

2. 2

   Cover the grill and get the temperature to 225 °F (107 °C). Check the temperature in your grill or smoker and open the vents if you need to make it hotter. Adjust the temperature until it reaches 225 °F (107 °C).^[11]

3. 3

   Smoke the meat and add coals every hour for 4 hours. Add about half a chimney of new coals and a couple of dry wood chunks every hour for 4 hours. If you can, use your smoker's charcoal door to place the coals on the side.^[12]

   • Avoid opening the lid frequently, since this will lower the temperature of the smoker or grill too much.

4. 4

   Check the temperature of the baby back ribs. Once you've smoked the ribs for 4 hours, insert a meat thermometer into the meat between 2 bones. It should reach at least 145 °F (63 °C) once it's finished.^[13]

   • If the ribs aren't to temperature, continue to smoke them and check them every hour.

5. 5

   Coat the ribs in sauce. If the meat is finished smoking, remove the rib grate with the ribs. Use tongs or gloves to lift the rib racks and lay them flat on the grill grate. Take a grilling mop and dip it into your favorite barbecue sauce. Coat the meat side of the baby back ribs with the sauce.^[14]

6. 6

   Turn and coat the other side in sauce. Use tongs to flip the rib racks over. Dip the grilling mop into more sauce and slather the other side of the ribs in the sauce. You can keep flipping and saucing the ribs as much as you like.^[15]

7. 7

   Serve the ribs. Once you've coated the ribs in enough sauce according to your taste, transfer them to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut in between the rib bones and set the ribs on a plate. Serve the ribs with lots of napkins or paper towels.^[16]

   • You can store the ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

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Things You'll Need

• 18 pound (8 kg) bag charcoal
• Lighter or matches
• Smoker or grill
• Thermometer
• Bowl
• 1 bag of hickory wood chunks

• Rib grilling rack
• Hickory wood chunks
• Thermometer
• Chimney
• Charcoal
• Tongs
• Serving plate
• Knife and cutting board
• Paper towels or napkins
• Small sauce pot and grilling brush or mop

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About This Article

Article Summary X

Before smoking your baby back ribs, remove the membrane with a butter knife and combine the ingredients for your dry rub in a bowl. Next, spread the rub over your ribs with your fingers and leave them to cure for 4 hours. To prepare your smoker, add enough charcoal briquettes to fill the bed and soak 6-8 hickory wood chunks in warm water for 30 minutes to help them burn slowly. Then, add them to the smoker with some dry chunks and heat the grill to 225 °F. To cook, place the ribs on a rack, put the rack in the smoker, and cook the meat for 4 hours. For more tips, including when to add sauce to your ribs, read on!

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How to Cook Baby Back Ribs in Smoker

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Smoke-Baby-Back-Ribs

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