California is perfect in almost every single way, except when it comes to their BBQ. It might be the southerner in me, but they haven’t quite gotten down good smoked meats. Even their ‘good’ ones don’t hold a candle to the south’s. So ever since I have lived here, I have been BBQing and smoking meats myself to give me a taste of the south. One of my favorite meats to smoke is, of course, baby back ribs.
The easiest way to make good BBQ ribs is via the 2-2-1 method. This is where you smoke uncovered with a rub for 2 hours, then wrap in foil with a little liquid for 2 hours to steam and soften, then baste in BBQ sauce and leave uncovered for the last hour to caramelize the sauce. It results in fall off the bone, delicious ribs that remind me of home.
Smoker vs. Oven:
For these I typically use my smoker. I recently got the Traeger Woodridge Elite and find it really easy to cook on. It is basically foolproof. However, if you don’t have a smoker, you can use an oven. The only difference is obviously you won’t get the same smoke taste, but the method still works using a low temperature in the oven, 225°F-250°F being the ideal range.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Baby Back Ribs – These are the preferred cut of ribs from a pork because they are tender and moister once cooked. You can also use spare ribs here.
- BBQ Rub – I personally like my own rub for this which will be listed below, but any store bought rub also works.
- Yellow Mustard – This is used for flavor and moisture, you can use brown mustard here as well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This is used to steam and soften the ribs. You can also use apple juice here as well.
- BBQ Sauce – Any sauce of choice here works!
@kellyscleankitchen How to make baby back ribs via the 2-2-1 method #ribs #babybackribs #bbq ♬ som original - Dessa Rassam
Easy BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 Hours
Total Time: 5 Hours 15 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 racks of baby back ribs
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup bbq rub listed below, or store bought
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup bbq sauce of choice
BBQ Rub
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Prepare the ribs the day prior to cooking. Remove the membrane on the underside of the bones. This is the thin opaque layer. I like to lift one side of it with a butter knife, and then use a paper towel to grip and pull off.
Coat the ribs in yellow mustard and then sprinkle the bbq rub all over so it is evenly coated. Place on a sheet tray and leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
STEP 2.
Day of, turn your smoker to 225°F. If you are using an oven do the same or 250°F if your oven doesn’t go that low. From here on out I will be referring to the cooking process on the smoker, but note it is the same for the oven.
STEP 3.
Once preheated, place the ribs in the smoker uncovered and smoke for 2 hours.
STEP 4.
After 2 hours, wrap the ribs in foil and make a sort of pocket that can hold liquids. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the foil pocket and seal off so it traps the steam. This will soften the ribs and make them tender.
Add back to the smoker and cook covered in foil for 2 hours.
STEP 5.
Remove the ribs and open the foil packets. Coat in bbq sauce all over and add back to the smoker, uncovered or 1 more hour to caramelize the sauce.
*If the ribs at this point are looking very soft and cooked, you can just finish this last step under a broiler for 5-10 minutes to caramelize. Different size ribs will cook faster so check this!
STEP 6.
Slice and serve the ribs with more bbq sauce and enjoy!
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