WRITTEN BY RICK HAITHCOX
Select a nice couple racks of pork ribs from your local grocer.
Remove the membranes and cut racks in 1/2. The membranes are on the back side of the ribs (bone side). Use a spoon to loosen the edge then peel away. Make sure to remove all the membrane..it will not cook.
Cover the meat side of each slab with a thin coating of yellow mustard. (I use a mixture of mustard and olive oil, mix the 2 together in a small bowl). The mustard doesn’t add any flavor, just gives the rub something more to adhere to. Generously coat both sides (2/3 on meat side, 1/3 on bone side) with the rub. Be sure to get the ends and sides of the Butt. . Let meat rest in fridge over night or up to 24 hrs. before grilling. Warm at room temp for about 30 min. before cooking.
Cook indirect in a rib rack at 325 deg. for 90 min. Use Hickory or apple wood chunks for smoke (I use a mixture of 2/3 Hickory to 1/3 Apple wood chunks soaked in water.) Place a good amount around the edges of your grill and a few on the hot coals.
Most important, prepare your favorite drink and sit in the shade and enjoy the smoke / meat smell of the ribs slowly smoking on your grill for the first 90 minutes.
Remove ribs after 90 minutes and brush with mixture of melted butter, your BBQ sauce of choice and honey, then place in aluminum pan with about one inch of apple juice. Cover tightly and bake on grill or oven at 350 deg. for about 1 hour.
The final step……coat with your favorite BBQ sauce and place on medium hot grill for a few minutes on each side and serve-yum!
Note: you really do not need a heavy BBQ sauce. Do not use a smoke flavor BBQ sauce, your cooking method has already infused the great hickory smoke flavor to your ribs. I sometimes totally skip the very last step of putting them back on the grill after the covered step. You can always serve more sauce on the side…
Enjoy! ~ Rick
