Smoking Ribs At Home

Mmmm smoked ribs – one of the great American traditions that seem to stand the test of time. It used to be if you wanted great smoked ribs you needed to travel out to that particular special place that cooks them perfect. Now with all of the barbecue smokers in the marketplace it is possible to get that same down home rib experience at home.

BBQ smokers can be found in many varieties. There are the traditional charcoal and wood smokers that use charcoal or hickory as the main heat and smoke source. There are also water vapor smokers that combine either charcoal or propane as the flame with container of water to include moisture to the ribs. Electric smokers have come on to the market lately and are super convenient for your everyday outdoor cooker.

After you have selected a great barbecue smoker, you need to go out and find yourself a nice rack of ribs. They can be either beef or pork ribs. Try to purchase a rack which has not been frozen and has a pink color to it. Buying the pre-trimmed ribs is a lot easier. Ask the butcher if he/she is capable of doing this for you if they are not trimmed.

When you get the ribs home, take the membrane off of the back of ribs the night before you smoke them. This will make the ribs tender. You may use a knife to start the procedure and pull the remainder off with your thumb and forefinger in combination with the knife to make sure all the membrane gets separated.

To ready the ribs for smoking, you’ll need to apply thin layer of either mustard or olive oil as a base coat for the dry rub. This coating can help the dry rub adhere to the ribs better. After you coat the ribs, apply a good dry rub that you could either purchase or create from scratch. There are plenty of good recipes online. After you’ve applied the dry rub, store the ribs inside the refrigerator overnight.

When you get ready to smoke the ribs, pull the ribs out of the refrigerator and let them reach room temperature. Pre-heat your smoker to about 250 degrees. This is the ideal temperature to smoke ribs. It’s a good idea to work with a thermometer and place it where the ribs will go to get an accurate reading.

If you don’t have a water vapor type of barbecue smoker, you can use a mop to put on the moisture. You’ll want to use a mixture of 40 percent cooking oil and 60 % apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. Let the ribs smoke for around 5 hours at 250 degrees applying the mop about every 45 minutes or so. Wrap the ribs in tin foil and apply a mop for the last Thirty minutes. Make sure the damper is open to release the smoke otherwise the ribs might be bitter.

If you want barbecue sauce, it is advisable to apply it as soon as the ribs are finished. If you like your ribs dry then just pull them out your smoker and serve as is. That’s all there is to it! Happy smoking!

Before you buy anything online, make sure you check Paul Stevens’ excellent free report on BBQ Smokers and my article on buying a home BBQ Smoker