Memphis Dry-Rub Ribs
Pork spare ribs coated in a spice rub and smoked low and slow, served without sauce so the crust speaks for itself.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 300 min
- Total
- 320 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 610 kcal
Equipment
- •Smoker
- •Meat thermometer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- fat
- 46
- carbs
- 8
- protein
- 38
- calories
- 610
Instructions
- 1
Pull the thin membrane off the back of each rib rack.
- 2
Mix the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, pepper, celery salt, and mustard in a bowl.
- 3
Rub the mixture generously onto both sides of the ribs. Let them rest for at least 1 hour, or chill overnight in the refrigerator.
- 4
Heat your smoker to 225°F using hickory wood.
- 5
Smoke the ribs for about 5 hours. Spray them lightly with water or apple juice every hour.
- 6
Check that the meat pulls back from the bone ends. The ribs are done when tender but not falling apart.
- 7
Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes. Cut between the bones to slice.
- 8
Serve as-is or dust lightly with extra rub. Do not add sauce.
Chef's tips
Rub the ribs the night before for deeper flavor. Keep the smoker heat steady at 225°F and skip the sauce so the spices and smoke shine.
Storage
Refrigerate wrapped ribs up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat wrapped in foil in a 300°F oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Smoking at too high a temperature and drying out the meat
- •Failing to remove all of the membrane, which blocks smoke from getting into the meat
Serving suggestions
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