Texas-Style Smoked Pork Spare Ribs

Texas pitmasters keep it simple: a salt-and-pepper bark, wood smoke, and patience. These full-rack spare ribs develop a deep mahogany crust over oak or hickory, pulling clean from the bone after a long cook.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Dry Rub

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) coarse kosher salt
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1 tsp (5 ml) cayenne pepper

Ribs

• 2 full racks pork spare ribs (about 2.5 kg / 5.5 lb total), membrane removed
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) yellow mustard (as binder)
• 250 ml (1 cup) apple juice, for spritzing

Finishing

• Your favorite BBQ sauce (optional), warmed

Instructions

1. Combine dry rub ingredients. Coat ribs all over with yellow mustard as a binder, then apply rub generously on all sides. Let rest at room temperature 30 minutes, or refrigerate uncovered overnight for deeper bark.
2. Prepare smoker or grill for indirect cooking at 110–120°C (225–250°F). Add oak or hickory chunks.
3. Place ribs bone-side down on the smoker. Smoke for 3 hours without lifting the lid.
4. After 3 hours, begin spritzing ribs with apple juice every 45 minutes to keep the bark moist and shiny.
5. Continue smoking 2–3 more hours until an internal temperature of 93°C (200°F) is reached and ribs bend significantly when lifted with tongs (the "bend test").
6. Optional: brush with warmed BBQ sauce in the final 15 minutes and let lacquer.
7. Rest ribs 15–20 minutes tented loosely in foil before slicing between bones. Serve with coleslaw and sliced white bread.

Cook's Notes: Total cook time is 5–6 hours — plan ahead. The mustard binder burns off completely during cooking, leaving no mustard flavor. Resist wrapping in foil (the "Texas crutch") for a true dry bark.