Sweet and Smoky Dry Rub Barbecue Ribs

True Story: 

The first time I ever ate ribs was when Hubby and I were dating... and I ate them with a fork and knife. I know, I know - you don't need to tell me that I was supposed to dig in with my hands. My now-in-laws certainly gave me some funny looks when I was eating them. I've just never liked getting my hands sticky and greasy. 

About ten years later, I'm finally able to put down my fork and knife. Hubby has perfected this recipe for smoked ribs, and it's just too good to mess around with cutting the meat off the bone.

Searching for a perfect meal to grill this Independence Day? Look no further! This recipe does take some prep work and time, but it is so worth it!

Sweet & Smoky Dry Rub Barbecue Ribs

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Ingredients:

• One Rack of St. Louis Style Ribs
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

    For the Dry Rub:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Materials:

• Charcoal Grill (We use this Weber grill)
• Charcoal Briquettes
• 6-8 pieces of wood for smoking.
  (We used pieces of cherry wood from when Hubby trimmed our trees, but you could use apple, mesquite, hickory, etc.)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients for the dry rub into a small bowl.

Use a knife to loosen the membrane on the bottom side of the ribs. Use your fingers to remove it.

Thoroughly coat both sides of the rack of ribs with the dry rub. Cover the ribs (we used a lidded half sheet) and refrigerate 7-8 hours or overnight.

On Grilling Day: 

Soak the wood in a bowl or bucket of water. Start the charcoal using a chimney starter and let heat about 30 minutes.

Turn your grill into a smoker using indirect heat:
Place approximately 20 briquettes on one side of the grill, and pour the hot briquettes from the starter on top.
Place one piece of wood onto the coals to begin the smoking process.
Lay the ribs on the side of the grill opposite the coals, creating indirect heat.

 

Cover and let smoke 2-3 hours (longer if you want them to be completely fall-off-the-bone tender).
Add a piece of soaked wood to the coals every hour and brush the ribs with apple cider vinegar every 30-45 minutes.

Remove the rack of ribs to a cutting board, slice, and serve.

Enjoy!

We like to serve this with oven fries, coleslaw, and iced tea.  A perfect summer meal!

Everyone in our family likes this recipe. There's not much that I can think of that's cuter than watching our 2-year-old Kiddo gobble down these ribs with the "evidence" all over his hands and face. It didn't take him long to devour two, and because he has a big appetite for such a little guy, he asked for one more.

 

What's your favorite meal on the grill? Are you planning to barbecue for the July 4th holiday?

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