TEXAS STYLE Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Updated: Jan 8, 2021
Made with our BUTCHER'S BLEND All-Purpose Rub
They say everything’s bigger in Texas. Well, the same goes for our love for barbecue, and for us diehard meat lovers, nothing hits better than the perfect rib! Baby Back Ribs have a reputation for BIG, juicy flavor, and rightfully so. They’re packed with the perfect ratio of fat, allowing you to get that “fall off the bone” effect without drying out the meat. Even after a long and slow cook, you can bet your pigtail you’re going to end up with some serious meat candy!
Baby Back Ribs, which are actually attached to the Pork Loin, are much meatier than their Spare Rib counterpart. This is because butchers and meat retailers make much higher margin selling Back Ribs vs Pork Loin Chops, so leaving more meat on the ribs when separating the two is more profitable. I guess that’s part of the reason these bad boys have been an All-American staple for all these years!
So where does the name, “Baby Back” come from?
A rack of back ribs consists of a minimum of 8 ribs, but can include up to 13 ribs, depending on how the hog is butchered. Back Ribs are taken from the upper rib portion of the loin muscle sitting just below the spine and above the spare ribs. The cuts are also taken from market weight hogs, rather than sows, hence the term “baby”.
I will admit...I have a sickness, and the only cure is MORE RIBS!
So let’s cut to it!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Baby Back Ribs
Yellow Mustard
The Butcher’s Cut BUTCHER’S BLEND All-Purpose Rub
Worcestershire Sauce
Apple Cider Vinegar
Water
Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
Start by getting your smoker fired up! I’m using mix of oak and hickory wood. We’re looking for a temperature of 250F. While things are heating up, we can start prepping the ribs!
For this recipe, we’re going to remove the membrane on the back side of the ribs. To do so, slide the knife underneath the membrane and over the smallest bone at the very end of the rack.
Using a towel, grab the edge of the membrane and pull it off. If done properly, it should come off all in one piece.
Next, square up the rack by removing any thin ends that aren’t uniform. These will end up burning up and drying out during the cooking anyway, so it’s best to just remove it. Also, don’t throw these away! These make for great bones for making ramen later on!
Continue by removing any excess fat or loose pieces with your knife.
Next, slather a layer of yellow mustard onto the ribs and massage until evenly distributed on all sides. This will help bind the rub to the meat instead of melting off with the fat.
Next, generously season the ribs with The Butcher’s Cut BUTCHER’S BLEND All-Purpose Rub on all sides. Pack it in real good!
By this time, your smoker should be up to temp. Time to get these bad boys cookin’! Go ahead and pop em’ on the smoker.
Time to mix The Spritz! In an empty spray bottle, mix 5oz. Worcestershire Sauce, 5oz. Apple Cider Vinegar, and 15oz. of water. Give it a good shake!
Spritz the ribs every 30-45 minutes. This helps keep the meat moist while allowing as much smoke as possible to cling to the meat during the cook process.
Keep this up for the next 3 hours and by that point, begin monitoring the internal temperature of the ribs closely. We’re looking for a temperature of 184F. At this point, you can begin pre-heating your grill on Medium-High.
Once the ribs reach the desired temperature, it’s time to sauce em’ up!
Brush on a thick layer of your favorite BBQ sauce. We’re using Austin’s Own!
At this point, your grill should be good and hot! Transfer the ribs to the grill, meat side down, then apply sauce the other side.
Cover and cook for 1 minute.
Next, carefully flip the ribs over. Add MORE SAUCE, cover and cook for 1 more minute.
After a good, hot sear, they’re finally done! Remove and let rest for 20 min.
Carefully cut between the bones to separate each rib.
Time to dig in!
There you have it folks! Thanks so much for trying out our recipe.
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Until then, stay hungry and keep your knives sharp!
- The Butchers Cut
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