Smoking the Perfect Rack of Ribs
The key to good BBQ is patience. We can’t help you with that, but we can walk you through the rest of the steps to cook the perfect rack of ribs. Before following our guide below, make sure you apply dry rub as instructed in our Classic Texas BBQ Dry Rub recipe.
Total Time: 5 hours
In the Smoker
Fire up your smoker to about 225°F to 230°F. Place your prepared ribs on a rib rack and smoke on indirect heat for 3 hours. Baste with apple juice every 20-30 minutes.
Take the ribs out and wrap them in aluminum foil. Smoke for an additional 2 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone.
In the Kitchen
Pre-heat the oven to 225°F. Place your prepared ribs in a deep-dish cast iron pan and add some liquid smoke. We prefer STUBB’S®, but any brand liquid smoke will do.
Cook for 3 hours uncovered, basting with apple juice every 20-30 minutes.
Cook for an additional 2 hours covered with a lid or foil. You know they’re done when meat is tender enough to fall off the bone.
Option for those of you wanting to change things up:
Line a dripping pan with aluminum foil and pour a beer of your choice into the bottom of the pan. This can also be substituted with apple juice.
After 2 hours in the smoker or oven, remove the ribs and place them in the dripping pan. Cover the ribs with a sheet of foil or lid, and cook for an additional 2 hours.
Remove the the pan from the smoker or oven, and drain out your liquids. Flip the ribs and cook for another hour, or until the meat falls off the bones.
Dog Tired Tips
- Try to keep the temperature consistent and avoid opening the smoker or oven.
- Use a good temperature gauge to monitor the situation from the outside.
- BBQ sauce can be added during the last hour of cooking.
- For competition ribs, shorten the amount of time they are wrapped in foil so the meat doesn’t fall off the bone and is delivered straight into the judges’ mouths.
- To keep your ribs warm once they are ready to eat, wrap them up, and reduce the heat to 150°F.
