3-2-1 Ribs

The recipe

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork spare ribs or St. Louis-cut ribs, about 3 lb each
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup sweet and smoky rib rub (about 1/4 cup per rack)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard, as a binder (optional)
• 1 cup apple juice in a spray bottle, for spritzing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, for the wrap
• 4 tbsp butter, cut into pats, for the wrap
• 2 tbsp honey, for the wrap
• 1/2 cup apple juice, for the wrap
• 1 cup Kansas City-style BBQ sauce
• Heavy-duty foil
• 3–4 lb smoking wood: apple, cherry, hickory or pecan

Steps

1. Pat the ribs dry. Flip them bone side up, slide a butter knife under the thin membrane on the back, grab it with a paper towel and pull it off.
2. Brush a thin layer of mustard on both sides if using, then coat each rack with about 1/4 cup of the sweet and smoky rib rub.
3. Set up your smoker for 225°F with apple, cherry, hickory or pecan.
4. Smoke 3 hours (2 hours for baby backs), meat side up. Spritz with apple juice every 45–60 minutes after the first hour.
5. Lay each rack on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil, meat side down. Top with half the brown sugar, butter, honey and 1/4 cup apple juice. Wrap tightly so no liquid leaks.
6. Return the wrapped ribs to the 225°F smoker for 2 hours.
7. Carefully unwrap the ribs. They should be tender, with the meat pulled back from the bone ends about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
8. Place the ribs back on the grate, meat side up, and brush with a thin coat of BBQ sauce. Cook about 1 hour (30 minutes to 1 hour for baby backs), brushing again once, until the sauce is tacky and set.
9. Check doneness: the meat between the bones should read about 195–203°F, and the rack should bend and crack on the surface when you lift it from one end with tongs.
10. Rest the ribs 10–15 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve with extra sauce.