Baby Back Ribs - Sweet & Smokey

You can’t go wrong with a good rack of baby backs. Tender, juicy, and packed with flavour, they’re a BBQ favourite for a reason. This version uses my Honey Hog or Bee Sting rub, finished off with a sticky glaze of Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce that caramelises beautifully on the smoker. For this recipe, I like to use either apple or cherry chunks for smoking - these woods give a gentle, fruity smoke that pairs perfectly with pork.

I like to coat the ribs with a bit of olive oil or mustard first so the rub sticks properly. Add some butter and brown sugar along the way, glaze with your favourite Smokey Joe's BBQ sauce, and you're good to go. We recommend the Sticky Raspberry Chipotle BBQ sauce for a delicious sweet rib with a bit of heat. Don't expect any leftovers!

What you need

Baby Back Ribs

Smokey Joe's Honey Hog or Bee Sting Rub

Smokey Joe's Sticky Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

Olive oil or Yellow Mustard, to coat rubs

100g unsalted butter

¼ cup light brown sugar

Apple or cherry Wood chips/pellets for the ideal flavor profile

what to do

Set up smoker for indirect cooking. Get smoker temperature to around 275f (135c) degrees

Remove baby back ribs from package and flip over.

Remove the membrane from the back side of the ribs.

Lightly coat with olive oil or mustard

Season front and back of ribs liberally Smokey Joes Honey Hog or Bee Sting Rub.

Let sit at room temperature for around 45 minutes.

Place ribs in smoker (meat side up). Or you can use a v-rack as well.

I like to cook them for about 2 hours at 275 degrees until the internal temp is around 165.

Prepare foil boat, add butter, sauce, brown sugar, and a bit more seasoning. Place ribs meat side down in the mixture.

Wrap tight and place back on the smoker for 1 hour.

Remove from smoker, take out of the foil, brush ribs with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and put back on the grill for about a 1 hour (meat side up). This will allow the sauce to set/glaze.

A good indication is if you pick them up with tongs on the end the rack should bend.

Total cook time usually around 3 ½ - 4 hours.

I like my ribs to have a bit of bite..

enjoy