If you’ve ever wanted to smoke ribs but are intimidated by the process, don’t be. All you need is a little patience and a little practice. In the method below, you can use a charcoal grill or gas grill. For fall-off-the-bone ribs, the key is to smoke the ribs over indirect heat and try not to peek during cooking. That will cause that delicious smoky flavor to escape.
- Serves 4
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Wood chips
- 1 package MOINK baby back ribs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Cooking instructions
- Soak wood chips in water for 1 hour. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. (This ensures they’ll be super tender.)
- Set up a grill for indirect cooking: Preheat one side of the grill to low heat (150°F to 200°F). Place the wood chips in a smoker box or disposable aluminum pan. Cover the top with aluminum foil and poke several holes throughout to allow smoke to escape. Place the wood chips box directly over the heat. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper and place over the unlit side of the grill. Cover the grill lid and smoke the ribs 3 to 4 hours or until the meat is tender and begins to fall off the bone, replenishing the wood chips as needed.
- While the ribs smoke, make the sauce: Whisk together the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce darkens and becomes thick.
- Remove the wood chips from the grill. Place the ribs over the lit side of the grill and increase the temperature to medium heat. Baste the ribs with the sauce and grill 10 more minutes, until the sauce coats the ribs. Remove the ribs from the grill and cut into individual ribs. Serve with any remaining sauce.
Pro Tip: For a mild smoky flavor that pairs best with pork, use fruit wood chips like cherry or apple.
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