How to make smoked baby back ribs in your offset smoker
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for pellet grills. But let’s be honest, ribs just taste better when they are smoked over real wood.
Here’s how to make perfectly smoked baby back ribs (in 11 easy steps).
1. Bring your smoker to temperature
You want to maintain a temperature of roughly 250 degrees throughout the smoking process.
2. Wipe off the moisture
Take a paper towel and remove the excess moisture from the rib rack.
3. Remove the membrane and trim
Use a sharp knife to separate the clear membrane from the ribs on the underside of the rib rack. Then, using a paper towel to grab the membrane, firmly pull it down and rip it off the rib rack.
4. Apply the yellow mustard
Brush the yellow mustard over the entire rib rack, front and back.
5. Apply the rib rub
Liberally shake on the rib rub over the entire rib rack front and back, then pat it on to make sure it sticks well to the mustard.
6. Place your rib rack on the grill grate
Place your ribs midway on the grill grate so they are not too close to the firebox (heat source). Remember, we want to smoke the ribs, not grill them.
7. Rotate and flip
If you are smoking more than one rib rack, rotate and flip the rib racks every half hour to ensure all the racks and surfaces are not constantly exposed to the heat source. This first step of smoking is two hours long, so you will be rotating and flipping your ribs three times.
8. Wrap in foil with BBQ sauce
Take your rib rack off the grill grate and place it on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Liberally brush the ribs with your BBQ sauce and fold the aluminum around the rib rack to form a tight seal. This step will help to ensure that your pork ribs are very moist and juicy.
9. Place the rib rack back on the grill grate
Place midway on the grill grate, and again rotate and flip the rib racks every half hour to ensure all the racks and surfaces are not constantly exposed to the heat source. This second step of smoking is also two hours long, so you will be rotating and flipping your ribs three times.
10. Remove the rib rack from the smoker
Take the rib rack out of the aluminum foil and place it back on the grill grate. Liberally spray the surface with apple juice and let rest on the grill for 15 minutes with the lid closed.
11. Cut and serve
Slice the rib rack between the bones to create individual pieces and serve with more BBQ sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
