My method gets you halfway there quicker after seasoning the ribs and wrapping them in foil. Then you bake them until tender, about 3 to 4 hours.
It's important to wrap the ribs in foil so they do not dry out and will stay moist with steaming and reach fall-apart tenderness.
I use a simple dry rub of garlic and chili powder along with salt and pepper, that's it. You can even buy store-bought versions, or use your own family recipe. BBQ sauce is cheap everywhere.
Click on any photo to see larger.
If you don't want to smoke the ribs you can add barbecue sauce with the dry rub and bake only.
I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs for just an hour only, in a gas grill instead of using a regular old-school pit BBQ.
My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rest over a low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5 minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.
The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.
If you have a patio BBQ party, I bet most of your guests will eat the ribs up, and will not be able to tell you took a shortcut and were not slaving over a smokey grill all day! And your closest neighbor may even thank you for not smoking up the block, ha.
I get my Pork Spare Ribs for about $2 per pound from my local Latin grocery store called Superior Grocery, now that's a good deal.
My simple dry rub ingredients come from a local Dollar Tree and 99c only Store. Barbecue sauce is cheap at any grocery store. If you have a local fave then use that.
I've tried out this recipe on friends and they've raved by eating every last smokey fall-off-the-bone tender rib on the plate. I don't make these tasty Ribs enough, but I'm singing a different tune this summer, you can be sure I'm making them again, and soon!
You can watch my easy-to-do smoking method for barbequing ribs in the video below. Watch the first half up to and including the baking portion and stop cooking if you like, or go all the way to the end for Easy Smoked Ribs.
Easy Smoked Ribs - Video
Play it here. Video runs 3 minutes, 29 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients
- 1 large rack of Pork Spare Ribs - about 4 pounds. You can use this recipe for any favorite pork or beef ribs.
- 2 tablespoons Garlic Powder - any dried type of garlic.
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder - okay to substitute with paprika.
- Salt and Pepper to taste - I used about a tablespoon each
- Wood Chips - 4 cups for smoking ribs one hour on a gas grill. Add more if needed.
Directions
With the meat side up, apply garlic and chili powder, followed by salt and pepper.
You can lightly rub seasoning onto the meat side. For extra meaty ribs add seasonings all over the ribs.
If you are only baking the ribs, and not going to the smoking stage, then it's okay to add your favorite barbecue sauce to the ribs. And can you sprinkle on half a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke? Sure, why not. I usually add barbecue sauce just before the smoking stage.
I only season the flesh side of the ribs. You can rub in the seasoning.
Some recipes call for removing the bottom rib membrane. I don't because the ribs are cooked so long that the tough membrane renders to a soft fatty texture.
If I was grilling only (no baking stage) then I would slice away most of the membrane on the rib/bone side. In that case, the grilling would not last long enough to tenderize, so the membrane would be tough and stringy.
Rib membrane
To prepare the ribs for baking, wrap Spare Ribs in foil tightly. If you have a large enough pan with a cover then skip the foil wrapping. Make sure the pan lid fits tightly or the ribs may dry out.
Place the meat wrapped in foil on a rack or pan. Some meat juices will leak out a little bit, so best to have a pan to catch it. I keep the meat side facing up. If meat is in contact with a hot pan surface it will fry, dry, and toughen.
Bake at 350 degrees for 3.5 hours. The meat will steam and tenderize. You can serve these oven-roasted ribs if you like, or go on to my final Easy Smoking stage.
The view inside the foil.
When done baking carefully unwrap the ribs, they may still be hot. If any meat juices are left you can pour them out to save. I add it to the pan I smoke the meat in.
Add the meat to a pan or rack with a bottom. You can also just put the meat on your BBQ grill. This is when I add a layer of barbecue sauce to the rib meat. Put on as much or as little as you like. Hey, you can even leave it off.
I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs in a gas grill with a cover for just an hour. For the real thing, you normally have to smoke meat all day.
My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rests over a low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5 minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.
You want to see a lot of smoke from the dried wood for this quick-smoking method to work. With whispy and wimpy smoke amounts, the meat will not have that BBQ smokey flavor no matter how long you smoke the ribs.
The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.
Spare Ribs have most of the meat on one side so make sure the meat is facing up to get all the smoke flavor. Some ribs have meat on both sides, so turn the meat a couple of times during smoking time.
I like to serve my Easy Baked Ribs with cool Coleslaw or Potato Salad, click on recipe names to read all about them.
Again this is a quick smoking method, so it won't satisfy the most hardcore BBQ enthusiast, but your average nosher will like my version of Easy Smoked Ribs just fine.
Spare Ribs have most of the meat on one side so make sure the meat is facing up to get all the smoke flavor. Some ribs have meat on both sides, so turn the meat a couple of times during smoking time.
I like to serve my Easy Baked Ribs with cool Coleslaw or Potato Salad, click on recipe names to read all about them.
Again this is a quick smoking method, so it won't satisfy the most hardcore BBQ enthusiast, but your average nosher will like my version of Easy Smoked Ribs just fine.
