How long does it take to smoke ribs?

Answer

When I make BBQ baby back ribs in the off-set smoker I generally cook them at 200-degrees F for eight hours. I like to use cherry wood for the smoke and I usually put a heavy smoke on the ribs for the first hour. After that I periodically replenish the coals and I will throw a chunk of cherry on the coals every hour or so. Wrap the ribs in foil the last hour of cooking.

If you use a dry rub, here's a great tip - apply a very thin coating of prepared yellow mustard to the ribs before sprinkling on the rub. The mustard acts as a "glue" and really helps the rub cling to the meat, but it doesn't alter the flavor of the finished meat.

If you want to glaze the ribs, do it over medium-low coals. Brush one side of the ribs with sauce, flip the ribs and apply the sauce to the other side. Let the first side caramelize for three minutes or so and then flip the rack over. Repeat until you are happy with the glaze on the ribs. Be careful not to let the sauce burn. If you used the dry rub/mustard trick I talked about above, you'll notice that the sauce will cling to the ribs very well.

This is the process we used to win the blue ribbon for ribs at the Michigan State BBQ Championship last summer. Hope it works well for you.

First answer by Lampare. Last edit by Lampare. Contributor trust: 31 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 8 [recommend question]