Smoked Spare Ribs; Smoker, Grill or Oven

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Who doesn’t love Smoked Spare Ribs?! We order them at festivals or BBQ joints. Why not make them at home? You don’t have to have a smoker to make luscious ribs! I make them on the grill and in the oven, on occasion!

July and August have been totally crazy and have flown by in record time. My Sister passed away after a too short but yet horrific battle with cancer. In the midst of that, we had planned to move my husband’s business back to our barn. This may have been an easy task if he was an accountant and we didn’t have to move a 15,000 pound car lift and a plethora of heavy tools. Of course moving back to our place required a large construction project to our barn to accommodate the lift. I have also been working on several recipe contests. One requiring burgers and the other using duck.

My Son came home from California, where he is going to school to help us with the move so he has been happy with the selection of great food we have come up with! We make these spare ribs at least 5 or 6 times during the spring, summer and fall, sometimes we may even sneak one batch in in the middle of winter. They are really quite addicting! If you don’t have a smoker, don’t despair! You can can cook tasty Smoked Spare Ribs on the grill or in the oven!

1. I start with the rub first. There are some good rubs you can buy but I like to make my own. That way I can control the sodium. We also like a lot of cumin and a bit of heat.



2. Liberally rub the pork on both sides with the rub.
3. Mix two parts vinegar to one part oil and put it in a clean kitchen spritzer. Alternatively, you can brush on lightly so the rub doesn’t get lost.



4. If you are using a smoker, preheat to 200-225°F. We love to use green apple wood when we smoke, it gives the pork a great flavor but you can buy hickory in bags, pre-dried. Soak whatever wood you use for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. Place the meat on the racks and spray with the oil and vinegar mixture. Spray once an hour until pork is done. For full sized ribs 6-8 hours. Baby Back ribs will only take about 5-6 hours.
5. If you use the grill or the oven to smoke your ribs, preheat to 200-225°F. Spray with the vinegar mixture. Wrap them with foil, loosely, so that the smoke can get in. Spritz them once every hour for about 1/2 of the time they will need to cook. (See approximation of time in #4).

Once you can see the pork pulling up on the bones, brush the pork with your favorite sauce. Wrap with aluminum foil and place back in the smoker, or grill or oven for another 30 minutes, or so.

No matter how many times I make these ribs, I cannot keep the masses at bay, when they are done and ready to photograph! So, even those these are new photos, they are still not good! I will get a good pic one of these days!! Promise!! 😂

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Smoked Ribs, no matter how you cook them, they are so much better with the addition of smoke! Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list, so that you don’t miss a recipe!

Enjoy! And have fun cooking!

Xoxo,

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Recipe

5 from 12 votes

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Smoked Spare Ribs; Smoker or Oven

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs 40 mins

Total Time

5 hrs

 

You don't need a smoker to make luscious smoked ribs!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4 methods to smoke spare ribs,, smoked spare ribs recipe,, smoked spare ribs,

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 642 kcal

Author: Beth Neels

Ingredients

• 1/8 c oil
• 1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 rack pork ribs , either baby back or spareribs
• Either store bought dry rub or home made (recipe follows)
• Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• Wood for smoking (hickory, apple, peach, cherry, pecan) soaked in water for at least a few hours or overnight

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat smoker or oven to 220 degrees F.
2. Place soaked wood in a metal tray for oven and smoker. Place a tin of water along side the wood tray. (If water runs out during cooking, add more water to the pan)
3. Mix oil and vinegar together.
4. Rub ribs on both sides with dry rub.
5. If using oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
6. If using smoker, place directly on racks.
7. Spray or mop ribs with the oil and vinegar mixture.
8. If using smoker, spray or mop ribs every hour or so to keep moist.
9. When the bottom of the rib meat pulls up and exposes the bone on the end, the ribs are ready. Internal temperature of at least 190 – 200 F.
10. Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce.
11. We finish them on a very hot grill to get a nice dark color. This step is optional.
12. Baby back ribs will take 5-6 hours and spareribs will take 6-8 hours, depending on the size.

Nutrition Facts

Smoked Spare Ribs; Smoker or Oven

Amount Per Serving

Calories 642 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 15mg 1%

Potassium 52mg 1%

Protein 2g 4%

Calcium 0.3%

Iron 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Originally Published 8/12/2016