Smoked Country Style Ribs 

Most people cook country-style ribs in the oven, which wastes what makes them great. Cut from the shoulder, these “ribs” are loaded with fat and connective tissue that belongs on a smoker.

This recipe takes them through three stages: smoke to build the crust, braise until tender, then back on the grates to set the glaze.

Serve alongside coleslaw and cornbread for a budget BBQ spread, or pile them into tacos and wraps.

Ingredients you’ll need 

• Country-style pork ribs (bone-in or boneless) – Buy them pre-cut at the store, or slice a boneless pork shoulder into thick strips yourself. Depending on how they’re cut, they may be fully boneless or include a small piece of shoulder blade. Both work fine.
• Yellow mustard – Acts as a binder to help the seasoning stick evenly. You can swap it for Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or olive oil if you prefer.
• BBQ Pork Rub – our homemade BBQ Pork Rub is perfect for this recipe. If you’re using store-bought, look for something with a good balance of salt, pepper, and a touch of sweetness.
• Barbecue sauce – I used Lillie’s Q Smoky Barbecue Sauce for this cook, but our homemade BBQ sauce is a great option too.
• Butter – Adds richness and helps the braising liquid turn into a proper glaze.
• Honey – Brings sweetness to the braise and helps the glaze caramelize when the ribs go back on the grates.

Equipment you’ll need 

• Smoker or pellet grill – This recipe will work on any smoker or pellet grill, as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 250°F for at least four hours. I used my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro for this recipe. 
• Aluminum pan – Or oven-safe baking dish for the braising portion of the cook. 
• Aluminum foil – You will need a sheet of aluminum foil to cover the pan. 
• Smoke wood – I used a hickory blend of wood pellets, but you can’t go wrong using any fruit woods like apple, cherry, or pecan.
• Sharp boning knife – If you are cutting your own country-style ribs out of a pork shoulder, you will need a sharp boning knife like our Smoke Kitchen boning knife. 

How to cut country style pork ribs from a pork shoulder

Pre-cut country-style ribs are easy to find at most grocery stores, but cutting your own from a pork shoulder is cheaper and a smart way to work through any pork butts you stocked up on when they were on special.

Start with a pork shoulder and a sharp knife. I used a bone-in shoulder, sliced it in half, and kept the bone-in section for pulled pork. The boneless half is what gets cut into country-style ribs. Nothing goes to waste.

If you’re starting with a fully boneless shoulder, you can skip straight to slicing.

Here’s how to cut your ribs:

• Slice the pork shoulder into pork steaks about 1½” thick.

• Cut each steak lengthwise into 2 to 4 strips, depending on size. You’re aiming for pieces roughly 4 to 5 inches long and 1½ inches wide, thick enough to hold up on the grates without drying out.

• Trim off any loose bits of meat.

How to make smoked country style pork ribs step-by-step

1. Prep your ribs 

The first step is to coat the ribs with a light layer of mustard, which acts as a binder. A binder will help the seasoning stick to the meat more evenly. If you’re not a fan of mustard, you can use Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or olive oil.

Then, season them generously all over with your BBQ pork rub.

Now that your ribs are seasoned, let them rest at room temperature while you fire up the smoker.

2. Smoke your ribs

Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 250°F. I smoked these country-style pork ribs with hickory-blend wood pellets on my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro. 

Once the smoker is preheated, place the ribs directly on the grates (a wire rack would also work and make them easier to take off). Let them smoke for about 1½ – 2 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

I like to give the “ribs” a spritz after the first hour with a 50:50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water, although this step is optional and not needed unless the edges of the ribs are darkening too quickly.

You want the outside of the ribs to have firmed up with a dry crust that doesn’t rub off when touched.

The best way to check internal temperature is with a meat thermometer. I love using an instant-read probe, like the Thermoworks Thermapen, when I’m cooking.

3. Braise the ribs

Now that your ribs are about halfway done, it’s time to pack in some flavor and braise them. 

Transfer the ribs to an aluminum pan or oven-safe baking dish. It’s okay if they overlap a bit, as the braising liquid will melt into the sauce they cook in. 

Add a few (or a lot of) pats of butter on top, then drizzle with honey and BBQ sauce.

Wrap the pan in foil and place it back on the smoker to finish. 

This braising process should take 1½ – 2 hours. You’ll know the country ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 195°F, and are fully probe tender.

I like to finish the ribs off for 10-15 minutes on the grill at 300°F and brush each rib with some of the braising liquid.

Once the glaze goes nice and glossy and starts to caramelise, pop them back in the tray and let them cool for 10 minutes, then serve alongside the leftover braising BBQ sauce for dipping.

How to serve smoked country-style pork ribs 

The most obvious choice is to enjoy them just as they are! They are full of flavor and taste great alongside your favorite BBQ sides. 

Another great way that I like to serve my country-style ribs is in a taco or sandwich. Then you can pile on extra toppings like homemade coleslaw, pickles, BBQ sauce, onions – whatever you like! Just pile a rib (or two) on a burger bun and the sky’s the limit. 

Country-style pork ribs are an easy, budget-friendly way to get big barbecue flavor without the long cook time of a full pork shoulder. With a smoky bark and tender, juicy meat, they’re sure to become a new favorite on your smoker.

Tried these smoked country-style pork ribs? We’d love to hear how they turned out! Be sure to leave a rating and comment below.