Recipe for the Best Baby Back Ribs Using a Paper Sack

There are dozens of means to cook baby back ribs and I've tried quite a few. The results varied from good to not bad. But there is one that really stands out for me - it'south smoking. Smoking infant back ribs gives them that perfect combination of unique texture, bark, captivating color and the smoky flavour that merely can't be replicated by whatsoever other cooking method. Smoking takes a scrap of time, but really, who cares in the end.

I like my smoked baby back ribs leaner, firmer and not mushy, with a nice bark and a perfectly caramelized coat of barbecue sauce. The end result is what some call pig processed. I don't make them overly sweetness though and utilize a very moderate amount of brownish carbohydrate in the rub.

The meat

Depending on where yous purchase your babe back ribs, they may have more or less meat and fatty on them. Both are neat choices, merely departure is that the thicker, meatier racks will cook longer. I do like to trim off as much fat as possible. Greasy, fat dripping ribs are just non my thing. Some say that a layer of fat keeps the meat moist, but that has not been an issue for me. If anything, the fat prevents the smoke from penetrating the meat, which is undesirable.

Don't forget to remove the membrane from the dorsum of the rack, information technology will improve the enjoyment of the meat after.

The rub

The kind of rub people use for smoked pork ribs seems to be a very personal thing. I am no exception. I prefer very mild tasting rubs that don't overpower the flavor of the meat and add but little bit of kick. The amount of the rub I use is very minimal. This makes the ribs taste similar great barbecue meat, not spices. Some of the all-time barbecue joints in Texas I was fortunate to visit don't put whatsoever spices on their meats at all, simply salt.

I've used the formula shown below for years and don't feel the need to modify it as everyone likes it a lot. Some people specifically asked me not to mess with it.

My rib rub formula:

• kosher common salt - 4 tsp
• brown sugar - two Tbsp
• freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• onion pulverization - i Tbsp
• garlic pulverization - 2 tsp (sometimes I use pressed fresh garlic and it'due south a peachy substitution)
• cayenne pepper - i/2 tsp (double if you want a little more heat)

The amounts to a higher place are for 2 total pork rib slabs, with both sides of a slab seasoned. Cutting in half if seasoning simply the meat side.

In the by I used oil or mustard before applying the rub to make sure it sticks properly. Nowadays I successfully use the rub directly to the meat. The surface of the meat is wet and then the rub has no trouble sticking to it. The manner I apply the rub is to sprinkle it evenly across the surface of the slab and then pat down to brand certain information technology sticks. Make certain your hands are dry out otherwise you will terminate up with heavily seasoned easily. I apply the rub to both the meaty side and the back side of the slab.

Once the rub is practical the ribs are ready to go in the smoker. You lot can as well prepare the meat in advance and refrigerate until yous are fix. I often gear up and flavor the slabs the night earlier and find that it merely benefits the meat as the seasonings have the time to become distributed more evenly. Later an overnight refrigeration yous will see that some liquid came out of the meat. Gently pat the slabs dry with a paper towel before putting them in the smoker.

Smoking

The smoker

Over years I've used a number of different smokers and grills to smoke baby back ribs. They all can exist used successfully, simply there are some differences to keep in mind. Electrical and propane grills and smokers work only lack the depth of flavor that charcoal smokers produce. Propane smokers run drier so you need to account for that by placing a tray of h2o under the meat. Charcoal grills/smokers produce the best flavor and don't dry out out the meat nearly equally much, just require a picayune more tending and skill to operate them.

The temperature

Whatever grill or smoker you apply, the about important thing is to go on the temperature stable within the desired range. Anywhere between 225F and 250F is perfect. If you get over 250F moisture loss accelerates dramatically and melted fat starts to leave the meat rapidly, resulting in dry out final product. The ribs should exist smoked over indirect heat, this is important.

I typically smoke baby back ribs at 240F-250F. The reason for the college end of the range is that, in my subjective stance, I get better color and softer texture of the meat. The cooking time shortens as well, which is great.

The Texas Crutch

Anyone who is familiar with smoking meats has probably heard of the Texas Crutch. Information technology'south a method of wrapping meat in foil for a catamenia of time during the smoking process to speed up cooking and accomplish more than tender meat. It's often used in BBQ competitions. Some similar it, some don't because the do good is insignificant compared to some significant downsides. The biggest downside is that this method tin seriously damage the bark, the fume season and the seasonings. And if yous are non perfect with your timing, you volition terminate up with a slab of mush. I attempted this method with pork ribs several times and never liked the results. The flavor profile was sub-par and the meat lacked the texture I was looking for. It was also soft and more than fatty. So I don't wrap.

The charcoal-broil wood

Finally, a few words about the barbecue forest.  There are several varieties perfectly suitable for smoking baby back ribs, from alder and maple to pecan and mesquite. Some are milder, some are very potent and may overpower the meat if smoking for as well long. My personal all-time favorite is ruddy wood. Cherry wood smoke is considered mild and yous can't over smoke with information technology too easily. What I like the most about this wood is the beautiful rich dark blood-red colour it gives the food and the fruity, sweet smoky flavor. I ordinarily have the smoke going for a skilful 3 hours and this gives me the best results.

Checking for doneness

Thinner racks are typically washed in almost 3.five hours, while thicker ones may take upwardly to 5.five hours.  It'southward disquisitional non to overcook them. It's better to check a fiddling early on than likewise tardily.

There are several ways to check ribs for doneness. The simplest one is the bend examination. Choice up a slab with a pair of tongs and requite it a gentle bounce. The meat is done if it cracks on the surface.

Just to be sure, check every slab. In my propane smoker the temperature at the summit shelf would always exist higher and the meat in that location would cook faster. What I would do to account for that is to switch the meat out between the shelves in the middle of the cooking  process. Even if you melt all your slabs on the same level, hot and cold spots may impact doneness.

My preferred way to check for doneness is the bend examination followed by checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer. Some gurus say that there is no sense in using a thermometer as the meat is too thin and the thickness varies from end to the middle. Fair enough. My experience is somewhat unlike though. I find that I get the best results if the meat reaches around 203F tested in the thicker part of the rack, right betwixt the basic. This mode I tin too go predictable and consistent results every fourth dimension I smoke ribs.

Applying barbecue sauce

This pace is optional, but the ribs really do good from it. Once the ribs are washed, I use a thick layer of my favorite charcoal-broil sauce over the meat side of the rack. There is non much sense in putting sauce on the back side if the rack as at that place is no meat there. Any BBQ sauce volition do. Just pick the ane you similar the nearly.

Once the sauce is applied I continue cooking for some other 25-30 minutes at the same temperature (250F). If yous smoke at 225F, I suggest increasing the temperature to 250F equally the higher temperature will help thicken and caramelize the sauce properly.

These additional 25-xxx minutes of cooking will not issue in overcooked meat as the sauce (assumed to exist at a room temperature) will chop-chop reduce the meat temperature. As the sauce is heating up and caramelizing on the surface, the meat temperature will exist going support. By the fourth dimension the sauce is nicely thickened the internal temperature of the meat should exist about around the desired target.

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Source: https://tasteofartisan.com/smoked-baby-back-ribs/

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