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Individually Smoked Pork Ribs – Bark in Every Bite

June 11, 2022

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Individually smoked pork ribs are my new favourite approach to smoke ribs, as a result of I get that flavorful barbecue bark in each chunk.

By Christie Vanover | Revealed June 10, 2022 | Final Up to date June 10, 2022

Disclosure: I’m sharing this as a proud Cowboy Charcoal ambassador. The submit is sponsored. Opinions are my very own.

To me, the 2 issues that make barbecue style so good are the superb crust that types after a gradual and low prepare dinner and the tremendous tender meat that’s encased by that bark. These individually smoked pork ribs supply one of the best of these two worlds with each single bone.

Individually Smoked Ribs Substances

You solely want 4 elements for this recipe. It actually can’t get a lot simpler than that.

pork rub, St. Louis Style pork ribs, water and barbecue sauce.

St Louis Model Pork Ribs: Make sure you search for the St. Louis Model ribs. They’re minimize from the spare ribs, so they might say spare on the bundle like these do. Full spare ribs are loads bigger. And child again ribs are fairly a bit smaller. For those who use both of these cuts of pork ribs, you’ll want to regulate your prepare dinner time.
Pork Rub: You’ll want 1.4 cup for each rack of ribs.
Water: To maintain the ribs moist, you’ll spray them all through the prepare dinner. I like utilizing water, however it’s also possible to use juice, beer and even wine.
BBQ Sauce: The sauce is non-obligatory. For those who like dry-rubbed ribs, skip it. However in case you like your ribs to have a bit shine and gloss, hit ’em along with your favourite sauce proper on the finish.

Individually Smoked Ribs Gear

You’ll want some fundamental kitchen instruments. Then, the remainder of the gear you’ll want will rely on the kind of grill you’re cooking on.

Cowboy Charcoal, pellets, wood chips, spray bottle, chimney, firestarter, thermometer, knife, cutting board, basting brush and bowl.

Slicing Knife: My favourite knife for butchering meat and slicing via the ribs is my Cutco Butcher Knife. You may as well use a chef’s knife or different giant straight-edge knife.
Slicing Board: Make sure you use a reducing board that’s giant sufficient for a full slab of ribs. The one pictured is the OXO Good Grips Cutting Board that’s 21 inches lengthy.
Tongs
Spray Bottle: You’re going to make use of the spray bottle all through the prepare dinner to maintain the ribs moist.
Meat Thermometer: My favourite meat thermometer is the Thermapen One. It will provide you with an correct learn out in a single second.
Sauce Bowl: A easy metallic bowl will do the trick. You simply want one thing to carry the sauce.
Basting Brush: I exploit the Thermoworks High-Temp Silicone Brush. It is available in 10 enjoyable colours.
Gasoline Grill Gear: Gasoline Grill, Propane or Pure Gasoline, Foil, Cowboy Charcoal Apple Smoking Wood Chips
Charcoal Grill Gear: Charcoal Grill, Cowboy Charcoal Applewood Briquets, Charcoal Chimney, Lighter, Firestarter
Pellet Grill Gear: Pellet Grill, Cowboy Charcoal and Hickory or Apple Barbeque Pellets
Ninja Foodi Grill Gear: Ninja Foodi Grill with Grill Grate and Air Fryer Basket Put in

Pre-Slicing Ribs Earlier than Smoking

Step one to prepping ribs – whether or not you allow them entire or smoke them individually – is to take away the silverskin on the again. This may assist guarantee you might have a young chunk.

It may be a bit tough. Use a paper towel to get a grip on the silverskin, after which rip it off. For those who’re fortunate, you’ll be able to pull it with one attempt. However some ribs come off in strips, and that’s simply the way it goes.

a knife slicing the meat between two bones of pork ribs.

Place the ribs on the reducing board and utilizing that giant straight-edge knife, slice alongside the meat proper in the course of two bones. Proceed working your means down the rack.

You should have one finish with some skinnier bones and smaller items. My household loves that finish. They really struggle over these ribs.

How you can Season the Particular person Ribs

As soon as your ribs are minimize into particular person bones, season them on all sides with 1/4 cup of my award-winning Spiceology Pork Rub.

The rub contains sugar, salt, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, onion and gentle chiles.

individually sliced pork ribs seasoned with pork rub.

Let the meat relaxation whilst you get your grill setup.

How you can Preserve the Ribs Moist

Because the ribs are cooking, it’s essential to spritz them with liquid each 20-Half-hour. That is going to assist the meat retain its pure juiciness.

You possibly can spritz with juice, ciders or beer, however actually water works nice, too.

All through the prepare dinner, open the lid and have a look at the ribs. If they seem a bit dry, give them a very good spritz. It’s okay if the water puddles a bit on prime. The ribs will soak it proper up.

The opposite key to juicy ribs is cooking them on the proper temperature and to the precise temperature.

When creating this recipe, I cooked some individually smoked pork ribs at a grill temp of 225F levels, and I discovered that they dried out a bit an excessive amount of. Cooking them between 250-275F levels was the candy spot.

You’ll know they’re prepared when the inner temperature of the meat reaches between 200-208F levels.

thermometer probe in rib registering 206F degrees.

USDA Secure Cooking Temperature for Pork

145F levels is the proper temperature for pork chops, however for pork ribs to be tender, they have to be cooked loads additional than that. Because the meat begins to kind a pleasant bark, stick a Thermapen into the meat, avoiding the bone. As soon as it hits this aim temp, they’re able to be sauced.

GOAL TEMPERATURE

200-208F / 93-97C levels

Smoking Particular person Ribs on a Gasoline Grill

Set your fuel grill up with an oblique warmth zone. I’ve a 3-burner grill, so I flip the precise burner on to medium-low and depart the left two burners off.

Immediately over the warmth, I add a wood chip foil pouch stuffed with Cowboy Charcoal Apple Smoking Wood Chips.

Individually Smoked Pork Ribs on a gas grill near a foil pouch.

As soon as the wooden chips begin to smoke and the grill reaches 250-275F levels, add the ribs over the a part of the grill the place the burners are turned off. Place the thicker items nearer to the burner that’s on, since they’ll take longer to prepare dinner.

Cook dinner them for 3 to three 1/2 hours to an inside temperature of 200F levels, spritzing with liquid each 20-Half-hour.

As soon as they attain the aim temp, brush them with sauce and allow them to smoke for 5-10 extra minutes.

Smoking Particular person Ribs on a Charcoal Grill

Whether or not you’re utilizing a kettle-style grill, PK Grill or ceramic cooker, you’ll wish to prepare dinner the ribs over oblique warmth.

Individually Smoked Pork Ribs on a PK Grill with charcoal to the side.

For a ceramic cooker, meaning including the charcoal, lighting it, letting it ash over after which including the deflector adopted by the grill grate.

For charcoal grills with no deflector, fill a charcoal chimney with Cowboy Hardwood Hickory or Apple Briquets, add a firestarter below the chimney, and lightweight it up. As soon as the coals ash over, dump them into one facet of the grill, leaving an space of the grill with out coals.

Modify the vents, till the grill temp reaches 250-275F levels. In case your grill doesn’t have a in-built thermometer, use a tool just like the Thermoworks Square DOT to measure your grill temp.

Place the thicker bones nearer to the coals. Then, let the ribs smoke for 3-3 1/2 hours, spritzing often, till they attain an inside temperature of 200F levels.

Brush them with sauce and allow them to proceed cooking for 5-10 minutes.

As soon as your grill temp is regular, add the seasoned ribs to the smoker. Each pellet grill has hotter spots, normally that’s proper over the place the hearth pot is. Add the thicker ribs to this space of the grill and place the littler ones farther from the hearth pot.

Spritz the ribs all through the prepare dinner. In about 2 1/2 hours, they need to attain an inside temperature of 200F levels. At this level, brush them with sauce and prepare dinner for 5-10 extra minutes.

Smoking Particular person Ribs on a Ninja Foodi Grill

Though the Ninja Foodi Grill has a grill setting, I choose utilizing the roast setting with the air fryer basket.

The explanation I exploit the basket is as a result of it helps present even air circulation on all sides of the ribs. Preheat the Ninja Foodi Grill to Roast with a temp of 250F levels and a time of two hours or so.

seasoned, raw individually sliced pork ribs on a Ninja Foodi Grill.

As soon as the grill is pre-heated, add the ribs. You possibly can match 8-10 at a time. Shut the lid and prepare dinner for 1 1/2 hours, spritzing sometimes with liquid.

As soon as the ribs attain an inside temperature of 200F levels, baste them with BBQ sauce and prepare dinner for one more 5 minutes.

GCG Professional Pitmaster Ideas

Begin with St. Louis Model Pork Ribs
Get your grill to 250-275F levels (don’t go decrease with this recipe)
Spritz the ribs typically to retain moisture
Grill to an inside temperature of 200-208F levels
Brush with BBQ sauce and let prepare dinner for a remaining 5-10 minutes

3 Individually Smoked Pork Ribs on a black plate with a juicy bite.

Steadily Requested Questions

Will Smoking Ribs Individually Trigger Them to Dry Out?

For those who observe the steps on this recipe, it is best to find yourself with moist, juicy rib meat surrounded by a flavorful bark. The important thing to protecting them from drying out is cooking at 250-275F levels and spritzing typically with water, juice or beer.

How Lengthy Does It Take to Smoke Individually Sliced Pork Ribs?

The timing depends upon your sort of grill. They prepare dinner the quickest on the Ninja Foodi Grill at about 1 1/2 hours. On a pellet grill, they need to be prepared in about 2 1/2 hours. On a fuel or charcoal grill, they’ll take 3 to three 1/2 hours.

How Many Ribs Ought to I Cook dinner Per Individual?

There are normally about 12 bones in every rack of St. Louis Model Pork Ribs. The common grownup will eat about 4 ribs, relying on what number of side dishes you’re serving, so 1 rack ought to feed 3 adults.

individual smoked pork ribs on a black platter.

What to Serve with Individually Smoked Pork Ribs

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