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.

Nutrition