Made with Chicken & Pork Rub

Texas Spare Ribs

Five hours, one rack, no sauce needed.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5–6 hrs
Total: About 6 hrs
Temp: Smoker at 225°F
Makes: Serves 3–4

Ingredients

1 rack pork spare ribs (St. Louis cut if you can get it)
2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder)
1/4 cup Chicken & Pork Rub
1/2 cup apple juice in a spray bottle
2 tbsp butter (optional, for the wrap)
BBQ sauce for the last 30 minutes (optional)

How I cook it

1
Pull the membrane off the bone side - grab it with a paper towel and peel.
2
Coat the rack lightly with mustard, then season all over with Chicken & Pork Rub. Let it sit 30 minutes while the smoker comes up.
3
Heat the smoker to 225°F. Pecan or hickory is my pick for pork.
4
Smoke bone-side down. After hour 3, spritz with apple juice when the bark looks dry.
5
At 4 hours, check the bend: pick the rack up with tongs in the middle - it should crack the bark and droop. Not there yet? Give it another 30–45 minutes.
6
Optional: wrap with butter for the last hour to push it tender, or sauce it and leave it unwrapped for the last 30 minutes to set a glaze.
7
Rest 15 minutes, slice between the bones, and serve.

Ty's note
I don't do the 3-2-1 method - it makes ribs mushy. Cook to the bend, not the clock. And try a rib before you sauce anything; the rub bark on a good rack doesn't need it.

Gear for this cook

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