Baby Backs

Richard,
Just smoked backs yesterday. Had the neighbors over to try the ribs we will be competing with this year. I think you will be pleased with this Rub recipe.
8 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp hot paprika
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tblspn salt
1 tsp onion powder
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp six-pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne
8 Tblspn Brown sugar---I like Dark
1 tsp celery salt

Rub liberally. After 2 hours of cooking brush with the following mixture.
1 stick real butter
2 6 oz cans of pineapple juice
Melt butter and mix with juice.
Brush again at 3 hour mark and again about 20 minutes before ready to pull from smoker.
Serve them just like this, straight from the smoker or you can add sauce--probably doesn't need it though.
Smoke with oak--red oak (with a small amount of apple added about the half way point)is the preffered smoke flavor, but white oak will work fine.
Wish I could post a picture--I could show you the ones that we did yesterday.
If you try our recipe--please let us know how you like it. We have worked on this for 6 years and again it is the recipe we will be competing with, so we would love any feedback.
Happy Smoking!
Zeb

Oh yeah!
your cook time should be about 4 hrs and the cook temp 220-225. Check them at about 3 hrs and 45 min. YOu are checking that the bone doesn't pull out of the meat cleanly.

Zeb, you have digital pictures? You can email them to me to post.

Thank You Zeb for the recipe & the info,I had rubbed them down last night already with kansas city cowtown sweet spot barbecue rub (sweet & hot) something new I found @ a local store.I don't know how good it is but I will find out I guess.your recipe sounds great,I am going to be doing some more B-Backs in about 2 weeks for the family,will dang sure use your recipe & let you know how they turn out.thanks again

Zeb I forgot to ask,what is six pepper? I don't reckon I have ever seen it,& where do you get it?
thanks

Hey ZebzBBQ,
Do you compete in the Bel Air BBQ Bash in Maryland? It is in August every year and it is a nice competition.
I'm searching for Q times on Pork Spareribs. I have 3 full racks and I am either puttin them in tonight before bed or around 6am. Any idea how long they need to cook? 3 racks at about 12lbs total weight. Thanks, Dj

Richard,
Here is a link to the six-pepper deal. It is also available @ Sam's. It is my favorite pepper spice out there. Use it to replace Red Pepper Flakes and Cayenne in recipes---You'll love it~!
Durkee

Oh yeah! I guess it is only fair to say the ribs are Great "as-is", But.....
John Boy and Billy- The Big Show
A thin coat of the "Original Recipe" is the kicker...10 mins before taking from smoker. You can use any sauce, BUT>>> be warned- NO SWEET SAUCES!! The Sauce MUST be a little spicy--just a little.
Now ALL my secrets are out! Nothing like sharing---now it is up to you!
Good Luck!---These will be winners-Garaunteed!
Zeb

P.S. D.J>
YOur cook time will be between 4-6 hours depending on the ribs you have--start checking them at about 3-hrs and 45 mins. Temp: 2202-225. Higher for thicker ribs like Iowa Beef Packers(IBP) and 220 Smithfield's-a younger cut of rib--but, I prefer them.

Dj--
Oh yeah, I have never competed in MD--I would love to, though! Just too broke and too busy
Good luck! If'n you try the recipe- let us know how it goes.
Zeb

I will print this recipe out and try it next time as my ribs are already rubbed w/ dinosaur rub and sprayed w/ apple juice. Next time for sure w/ your recipe. Nothing beats home made recipes. Now to the corn bread recipe! If you want info on the BBQ Bash here in MD just email me at my personal email address and when they publish the info I will mail it to you. Dj

Thanks for the heads up on time for the ribs.
I'll let you know tomorrow nite how I did. Dj

Just a word of caution about amount of time you let rub set on ribs.

Keep in mind that there is not a lot of meat,versus bone,to accept seasoning.

Also,a lot of ribs are coming tumbled with salt water solution.

Some folks find that leaving rub on for long periods,may partially cure the ribs and leave a
" hammy" taste.

Sounds like you have four pound slabs and if they have been frozen,they could take longer to tender up.

Thanks for the help Zeb,I love pepper anyhow.I will have to make a trip to sams club.

Richard,
How did your ribs turn out?
Zeb

Oh yeah!
Listen to Tom on the "Ribs sitting in the rub" thing. Ribs should be rubbed down NO sooner than 2 hrs before you cook them---TOPS!
Longer is fine (and reccomended-by me) for Butts and Shoulders---even Turkeys!
HAppy Smokin'!
Zeb

It would also be interesting to see pics of how they came out as well... I think someone offered to post them.

In fact - I'm probably going to try that rub recipe this weekend...

Richard:

I did a couple racks of small ribs yesterday as well.

4 hours at 225 with 3 oz. of apple wood, pulled, foiled, newspapered and into the cooler for 2 hours. Extracted from all that and onto the grill for 3 minutes a side, some sauced,some plain. Lovely.

I rubbed them immediately prior to their introduction to the CS with Baron of BBQ from Oregon Spice. One difference may be that I buy my ribs from a butcher shop by the house and he claims that they are not tumbled or injected or anything else and from what I can tell he speaks the truth.

I reheated the meager remains for lunch today at work in the convection oven in foil with a splash of water and they were way better than Subway.....

Jasper

the ribs I did yesterday turned out real good.I rubbed them down the night before with cowtowns sweet spot (Supposed to be sweet & hot) but the wife & I both could not taste any heat.took them out of the fridge the next morning & into the cs @ 200 for 5 hrs.the meat did not fall off of the bone,but when you ate them you did not have to work too hard to get the meat off.I gathered up some pecan limbs from different areas around the neighborhood that fell during the last hurricane last year & I cut a bunch of 1-1/2inch thick wafers from the limbs with my band saw,about big around as a 50-cent piece.i've got about a years supply now.I used 1 and a half pieces,& the smoke was just right,not too much at all.

Zeb I am going to use your recipe in about 2 weeks when I do a couple more B-Backs,will let you know how it all goes.
Thanks

I love all the info here on different things to try.I am kinda stuck on using Durkee brand chicken&Rib Rub for now.Also enjoy Tony Chacheras Spice&herb as a rub too.Great results on both.

1st time for Baby Backs in my S.Tex was today. I guess I over cooked them a little but they were still great. I rubbed them with Dinosaur rub, sprayed them with apple juice and smoked them with about 3 ozs of hickory. MMMMMMMMMM GOOOOD!

Question....
Hanging ribs, Don't they fall apart once cooked? Do they pull apart where they are hung.

I'm not much on hanging,but if you hook them through the big end bones-maybe even below the second rib-and don't overcook,you are usually ok.

Just made baby back ribs for the first time. Had 3 slabs which I cut in half for a total of 6. Half of them finished in 6 hours and the other half took 8 hours. I used the meat drawing up on the bone method for determining if they were done. I guess that the thicker slabs will just take longer. All in all they were the best baby back ribs I have ever made..... My girlfriend says they were the best baby back ribs she has ever eaten. I really never go out for ribs so I had nothing to judge them on.

What temp are you cooking those at Tony?

I cooked them at 225