Slow-smoking is the best way to cook tender, juicy ribs with a ton of flavor. Choose baby-back ribs to get the most tender and fastest-cooking ribs possible. Cut back on the sodium, calories and preservatives in prepared ribs by making your own spice rub and barbecue sauce and avoiding all of the junk found in store-prepared rubs and sauces. Trim all visible fat off of the ribs with a sharp pair of kitchen shears before cooking to further increase the health properties of the meal.
Step 1
Remove the thin membrane of skin from the bone side of the ribs to help the spice rub penetrate the meat better.
Step 2
Rub your homemade spice rub, or any mixture of spices you like, all over the ribs. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight so that the spices can permeate the meat.
Step 3
Soak the wood chips for your smoker in water for one hour before cooking.
Step 4
Read and follow your smoker's instructions. Preheat the smoker to high heat according to the directions. Once the smoker is hot and the temperature inside reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, move the coals to the outside perimeter or turn off one of the burners on a gas grill so that you have one area on the smoker where your ribs can cook over indirect heat.
Step 5
If you don't have a smoker, use an outdoor grill. Wrap soaked wood chips in aluminum foil and poke holes in the foil package with a knife. Place the wood chips directly on your grill's heat source to add smoke during the cooking process.
Step 6
Place the ribs bone-side-down on the smoker, close the lid and let them cook. Check the ribs every hour or so. They will take at least two hours to cook.
Step 7
Baste the ribs with your homemade barbecue sauce a few times during the ribs' last 15 to 20 minutes on the grill.
Tips and Warnings
- Use an internal meat thermometer to check the ribs for doneness. Pull the ribs from the grill when the meat reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Purchase organic, grass-fed pork when you can to cut back on the antibiotics and hormones often found in meat.
Things You'll Need
- Spice rub
- Plastic wrap
- Wood chips
- Aluminum foil (optional)
- Barbecue sauce
