Competition Pork Spare Ribs

Follow our tips and tricks for juicy competition style pork spare ribs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 4

Resting Time 15

Total Time 4 45

Servings

Calories 1026kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

Ribs

1 rack St. Louis cut pork spare ribs (see note above for trimming standard spare ribs)
1 tbsp Olive oil or yellow mustard
2 tbs Smoke Kitchen Pitmasters Pick
apple juice for spritzing

Wrap

2 tbsp Parkay Margarine Squeeze Spread You can also use pats of butter see note 1) below.
1 tbsp Smoke Kitchen Pitmaster’s Pick
2 tbsp breakfast syrup

Sauce

2 tbsp Smoke Kitchen Sweet BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Start by flipping your ribs meat-side down and removing the membrane from the back of the rack (see note above on membrane removal).
With a sharp boning knife, trim off 1 to 2 ribs from the end of your rack to square off the rack. You are shooting for a uniform, rectangular shape.
Trim off any loose meat along the sides of the rack.
Coat both sides of your rack in a very thin layer olive oil to act as a binder for your seasoning.
Starting with the back side (bone side), apply an even layer of seasoning on both sides of your ribs. Sprinkle any remaining rub along the exposed sides and ends of the rack.
Let the ribs rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat starts to sweat and the rub is shiny/moist.
While your ribs are resting, preheat your smoker to 225°F with a combination of Post Oak and Pecan wood (or pellets, if applicable).
Once your smoker reaches 225°F, place your ribs directly on the grates.
Smoke for 2 hours and spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes.
Cut a sheet of aluminum foil that is 3x as long as your rack and 4x as wide.
Spread the Parkay Squeeze Margarine down the center of the foil in a zig-zag pattern that is about the same size as your rack of ribs. Sprinkle on the remaining barbecue rub, then add the breakfast syrup in the same fashion as the margarine.
Remove your ribs from the smoker and place them meat-side down on top of the butter/syrup mixture and wrap them tightly (see note above regarding wrapping technique).
Place the ribs back on the smoker with the meat side down and the seam of the foil facing upward and let them smoke for 1 more hour.
Unwrap the foil and bunch the sides together to create a boat-like shape, then gently flip the ribs over so that the meat is facing upward.
Coat the top of the ribs in a thin layer of barbecue sauce. Do not use more than you need to just get a very thin layer across the entire rack (you may use more or less depending on the size of your rack).
Leave the foil open and allow the ribs to smoke for another hour until the bones are exposed about ½” and the meat is probe-tender. If you choose to use a thermometer, you should expect a temperature between 200°F and 205°F.
Use a small basting brush to gently coat the ribs in the remaining butter/syrup mixture in the bottom of the foil until they are evenly moist and shiny. Let them cook for 5 more minutes.
Remove your ribs from the smoker and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Slice the ribs between the bones in equal-sized cuts (see note above for rib slicing techniques).
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Do I need to use Parkay Squeeze Margarine? No, you could use a couple of pats of butter but we find Parkay easy to apply to the foil in a zig-zag pattern, it has a higher smoke point than regular butter and also adds more moisture than butter does.

Nutrition