Spare ribs, 3-2-1

6 hr · 40 min hands-on · pull 195°F · rest 15 min

Ingredients

3.5 lb on the fire · ~1.8 lb to the table · 4 plates at 8 oz

• St. Louis cut spare ribs1 rack (3 1/2 lb)
• yellow mustard2 tbsp
• rib rub (brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, chili)1/4 cup
• butter4 tbsp
• apple juice or cider vinegar1/4 cup
• barbecue sauce1/3 cup

Method

1. 1

   Peel the membrane from the bone side. Pat dry, mustard binder, then a even coat of rub. Rest 30 minutes while the smoker comes to 250°F.

2. 2

   Smoke unwrapped 3 hours, bone-side down. Spritz with apple juice once an hour if the surface looks dry.

3. 3

   Wrap tightly in foil with butter and a splash of apple juice. Return for 2 hours until the bones loosen and a probe slides between them with little resistance.

4. 4

   Unwrap, sauce lightly, and cook 45–60 minutes more until the glaze sets and the rack bends 90 degrees when lifted from the center.

5. 5

   Rest 15 minutes, then slice between the bones.

If you don’t have it

• St. Louis spare ribs → Baby backs. Shorten to 2-2-1 at 250°F. They finish faster and take less wrap.
• Apple juice spritz → Cider vinegar and water. Less sugar, cleaner bark. Cola burns on a 6-hour cook.
• Hickory → Cherry + oak, or pecan. Straight hickory is fine for one rack. On a full cooker it can taste like ham.

Same cook, different day

• No-wrap

  You want maximum bark. Smoke unwrapped at 250–275°F until the bend test, 5–6 hours. Sauce only in the last 20 minutes.

• Hot and fast

  Weeknight ribs. 300°F, 2 hours unwrapped, 45 minutes wrapped, 20 minutes glazed.

• Dry finish

  You do not want sauce. Skip the glaze. Finish with a dust of the same rub after the wrap comes off.