Amateur pitmasters will often wrap their ribs in foil at some point during the cook. Close the lid and continue to cook. Smoke for 2 hours. Wrapping ribs, 3-2-1 method, with BBQ sauce, without BBQ sauce there are plenty of ways to cook your ribs. If youve watched pitmasters of YouTube, youve probably noticed that almost all of them wrap ribs. As the ribs slowly smoke and cook, the meat tenderizes and the tight tissues turn into soft and melty gelatin. Instead of striving for a fall off the bone texture, aim for an internal temperature of 195 degrees. Good wood choices for unwrapped ribs include hickory, oak, and pecan. Wireless Thermometer: The latest thermometers on the market have no wires and can be controlled by wi-fi via your phone. Such a great approach! , youll have no problem sticking to food regimen goals. Since theyre not as large as spare ribs, back ribs are sometimes called baby backs. These dont contain as much meat as spare ribs, and what meat they do have is much leaner. 3 The First Three Hours. What are Baby Back Ribs There are two basic pork ribs you can buy for smoking, baby back ribs and spare ribs. Youll have to remove this bone at a bit of an angle. Wrapping will also take a couple of hours off the total cook time. The downside of wrapping is it makes the bar During the first few hours of the cook, your ribs will have developed a nice firm bark. Boosting the temperature helps to decrease the overall cooking time, which is convenient because the ribs are so much larger. Baby Back Ribs are also known as Pork Back Ribs: This popular pork cut is one of my favorites to throw on a BBQ grill. Few things in life can compare or come close to the flavor of a rack of perfectly smoked barbecue ribs. Allow them to cook for another hour, or until the meat comes away from the bone when you apply gentle pressure. Smoked Spare Ribs are a staple on BBQ restaurant menus because they are flavorful, juicy, and simple to prep. Leaving the ribs unwrapped can also cause them to dry out, since the foil collects moisture. How Long To Smoke Ribs at 250 and 275 Degrees Fahrenheit Flip the ribs over and take off the thin strip of meat that runs diagonally across the ribs. The secret to unforgettable grilling lies in selecting the perfect cut of meat, a task that can be daunting due to the sheer variety of options. When the ribs are done, they should crack down the middle, indicating that theyll come apart easily. Either way, smoke ribs will taste awesome if you keep the temperature within the correct range and prepare the meat the right way. You will find most barbecue gurus go more by look and feel rather than following any sort of rigid time structure. That said, dont be tempted to raise the temperature too high, or the ribs wont have the same tender texture. 2. If you want to learn more about smoker grills, we wrote an excellent article on the best smoker grills for beginners and another article on the best propane smokers. During the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, you can add a layer of barbecue sauce, if desired. At 250 F you won't notice a difference in smoke flavor from 225F. Smoked Ribs - Wrapped or Unwrapped? - Pitmaster Club Inspect to see if the silverskin is intact. If 1/4- to 1/2-inch of the bone is visible, then the ribs are most likely done. St. Louis-style ribs will also take 4 hours to cook at 4 hours. If you leave the ribs in foil for too long, your bark will go mushy. You want to see some coloring, and the ribs should start looking cooked before moving to step number two. How Long To Smoke Ribs At 250 On average, baby back ribs take about 4-5 hours to smoke at 250 Fahrenheit. Another good way to test the ribs is to insert a toothpick into one of the meatier portions of the rack. If the rack is any larger, the ribs will take longer to cook. . As a reward for your patience, the ribs will absorb more smoke flavor. Youll feel a thick ridge of bone. Pit Boss Pellet Smoker Make sure to massage the spices into the meat so that they dont fall off on the cooking grate. When it reaches the right temperature, set the unwrapped rib rack on the cooking grate and close the lid. The best wood for smoking ribs unwrapped is hickory mixed with a mild fruit wood such as apple or cherry. Copyright 2023 BBQ Host, How Long To Smoke Ribs at 250 or 275 Degrees, substituting spare ribs for baby back ribs. You can save your trimmings for stock or smoke them alongside your spare ribs for a little pitmasters snack to munch on in the afternoon. Heres how to do it: With your smoker running strong at 250 degrees F, you can anticipate that your spare ribs will take 4.5-5.5 hours to fully cook. By the time the meat is finished resting, it should come off the bone nicely when you tug or bite on it, but it wont be falling off. I like pork rubs with a good balance of both sugar and savory. Pork spare ribs are the full rack of ribs on the lower/belly side of a pig. A Word About Rib Types Before you start to cook, you should know that there are several different types of ribs. After 2 hours, take the ribs out of the smoker. You can smoke spare ribs on whatever type of indirect smoke you have in your backyard. You might also be interested in our article on BBQ Rib Rub Guide. Wrapping your brisket in paper will give you a nice brisket bark. Butcher paper provides a nice halfway point between the foil wrapper and leaving the ribs naked. St. Louis cut ribs are a fattier cut from closer to the belly of a pig. This is a great method to smoke baby back ribs. 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Smoked Baby Back Ribs - Traeger Grills Pecan is a safe choice, so too is maple or oak. Wrapping traps all the moisture inside the package, helping to tenderize the meat and keeping it nice and juicy. A rack of ribs that has larger rib bones and less meat requires less cooking time than a meatier rack..regardless where the cut came from.and the amount of fat content could have an effect on cook time. When ribs are wrapped, they can handle higher temperatures. When smoking ribs, there are a few tests you can enlist to help you estimate whether youre getting close to the finish line. I have tried rubs with anything from mustard to paprika. And since you asked, yes, that probably is barbecue sauce on my face. St. Louis cut is a great choice for anyone who wants to truly maximize the flavor of their ribs! This low temperature will help keep the ribs moist, smokey and tender. If you slather the ribs in prepared mustard before adding the rub, the spices will have something to cling to. I explored both methods in the video linked below. My love of great barbecue inspired me to curate this site as a resource for all my like-minded fellow pitmasters out there. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0-asloaded{max-width:300px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');@media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0_1-asloaded{max-width:300px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_10',114,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meatsmokinghq_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-2-multi-114{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Id be very careful using mesquite when smoking no wrap ribs. You can also add more of your favorite sauce to your smoked pork ribs and enjoy. The following recipe works best with spare ribs. The 2-2-1 one method works well with uncovered ribs. The different types of ribs can be a little confusing, so lets clear up which is which. This makes wood choice all the more important. You can place a small aluminum pan of water or apple juice directly underneath the meat to generate smoke. Allow time for the rub to draw moisture out. Unlock the secrets of pitmaster legends with step-by-step guides, regional techniques, mouthwatering rubs, and smoke science. If the bone comes out, then you have overcooked the ribs. Keep reading to find out how long to smoke ribs at 250 degrees for the perfect result every time! By wrapping ribs, you will probably save about 1 hour. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (we used cherry wood). Youll find that the wrapped ribs will cook faster and well have a different texture. Meat has been an integral part of my life since my earliest memories, when I spent hours in my father's butcher shop. Plus, with this recipe, theres no need for wrapping in aluminum foil! Head on over there and get some Hey Grill Hey flavors delivered straight to your front door! Smoking pork ribs is not as tricky as smoking briskets, but one still has to follow a few steps to achieve a good result. When it comes to cooking your ribs, spice rubs and barbecue sauce are the traditional means of seasoning. This is the only way to make sure that the meat has cooked to your desired temperature. In general, you should plan on smoking ribs for about 3-4 hours at 250 degrees. A 3-pound rack of baby back ribs should take 5 hours to cook at 250 degrees and 3 to 4 hours at 275 degrees. The membrane is often referred to as the silver skin and some butchers will remove the silver skin for you. Bring the temperature to 225F. This step is optional, but the bones are so large, I typically just end up discarding them (and the little bit of meat above them) after smoking anyways. Once an hour, you will spritz the ribs and coat with a coat of rub. What Temperature To Smoke Ribs At? (4 Temps That Work). Theres a visible curvature along the length of the rack that makes them easy to identify. Meat Thermometer: There are dozens of fancy thermometers on the market, but I still use my trusty TP20. Place the ribs meat-side up on the grill. You may also use a sharp knife to cut a tiny section of the silver skin. So as you can see slow smoking ribs is a slow process. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. If youve been following a keto diet, you probably know the drill. Its also more difficult to reheat your leftovers when the meat is too dry. It seems like everyone loves ribs, whether pork or beef, cooked on the slow-cooker or pellet grill. Please try again. Welcome to the party! Light your smoker. The USDA says its safe to eat ribs at 145 F, but even though it is safe to eat at this temperature, the meat will not be tender and juicy. 3 hours in the smoker. As you may have guessed, this causes the meat to steam inside the foil (see Can You Get Fall Off The Bone Ribs Without Foil, below. Contradictory info above. Of course, if you feel like getting creative, making your own dry rubs with brown sugar and other spices is a great way to put your own unforgettable twist on your rib recipe. The Grill Squad is our exclusive membership program that will transform bland cookouts into booming barbecues that you'll remember for a lifetime. Alternatively, you can use tongs to lift one end of the rib rack, then bounce it up and down a couple of times. During the last 30 minutes, feel free to apply your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. I usually add apple juice to the ribs during the wrap, but others add butter and honey to add additional flavors and help braise the ribs in the foil.