Smoker or Oven cooked Memphis ribs are basically the same, just the cooking techniques and subtle outcomes differ. Smoked Memphis ribs are the real thing- the thing that BBQ Grand Masters spend lifetimes trying to perfect. The beloved “dry” style of Memphis BBQ means that no sauce is used in its preparation (it can be added upon serving), whereas “wet” means sauce is used before, during, and after cooking. No self-respecting Tennessean would be caught (in public anyway) eating ribs cooked “wet”, but my Hungry Traveler isn’t from Tennessee…..

Memphis Smoked Spare Ribs

Memphis dry rub spareribs are a smokey, crunchy wonder. It's well worth the time to cook them "low and slow" in a smoker with billows of smoke. No smoker? No problem. You can experience these magnificent spare ribs even if you don't have access to a smoker by cooking them in your oven. If you feel like making them "wet," skip the final spritz and dry rub application and instead, brush them 5 minutes before completion with a thin layer of your favorite BBQ sauce or homemade Memphis Red, Kansas City Sweet, or South Carolina Gold style BBQ sauces.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: BBQ, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, American South, North American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 5

Dry brining: 2

Total Time: 7 15

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Smoker (if smoking ribs)
Spray bottle
Tongs and a mini-mop or silicon brush

Ingredients

½ CUP Southern Pork Rub
1 CUP Spritz
2 CUPS Memphis Red Barbeque Sauce
2 racks Pork spare ribs or St. Louis cut ribs (11-13 bones/ea.)
8 oz Hickory wood chips or soaked wood chunks (if smoking)
2 tsp Liquid smoke (if baking)

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

Memphis Smoked Pork Ribs

Prepare Ribs – Rinse and pat dry ribs. Either remove membrane on the bottom by grabbing one corner with a paper towel and pulling up, or just make diagonal cuts into it. Cover both sides with 1 tsp salt and place on a baking pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or even overnight. Rub a thin layer of oil or mustard over the ribs to help the rub adhere. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of rub on each side and set aside.
Prepare Smoker – Fire-up the smoker and it heat to a steady 225°F (125°C). Add ½ of the wood chips and the rib racks meat-side up. After 25 minutes, add remaining wood chips.
Cook Ribs – Cook ribs until they crack slightly when picked up by tongs in the middle, around 5 to 6 hours. Spritz every 40 minutes or-so. In last 15 minutes, spritz lightly and sprinkle 1 tbsp dry rub over to top of each rack. For an even crispier crust, grill over high heat, 3-5 minutes per side.
Serve Ribs – Transfer ribs to a cutting board and divide ribs between the bones or cut each rack into thirds. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.

Baked Memphis Pork Ribs

Prepare Ribs -Rinse and pat dry ribs. Either remove membrane on bottom by grabbing one corner with a paper towel or just make diagonal cuts across the membrane. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of rub on each side and then spread 1 tsp liquid smoke over the top of each rack. Cover each rack with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Bake Ribs – Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 250°F (130°C). Discard the plastic wrap and wrap each rib rack tightly in aluminum foil and place on a wire rack on a baking tray. Bake ribs for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake another 1½ hours. Lightly spritz every 30 minutes or so.
Finish Ribs – Cook ribs until they crack slightly when picked up by tongs in the middle. Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C). Sprinkle 1½ tbsp dry rub over the top of each rack and return to the oven to brown, about 10 minutes.
Serve Ribs – Transfer ribs to a cutting board and divide ribs between the bones or cut each rack in half. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.