Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• Applewood
• 2 Baby back rib racks
• 1 container Barbecue rub
• Tin foil
• bag Brown sugar
• bottle Honey
• Barbecue sauce
• 1 stick Butter

Method

Remove the silverskin membrane from the back of each rack — use a knife to lift it at one corner, then peel it away with a tea towel for grip. This membrane traps smoke and keeps the dry-rub from penetrating the meat. Apply the rub generously to both sides and let the racks sit uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes. The salt in the rub begins to denature the surface proteins, allowing deeper seasoning penetration during the cook.

Set your smoker to 82°C with applewood. Place the racks bone-side down on the grate and smoke for 3 hours. You're aiming for a pronounced smoke ring — the pink layer just beneath the surface where myoglobin reacts with smoke compounds — and colour that deepens from mahogany to nearly black on the edges. The meat should pull back slightly from the bones. This low-and-slow phase is non-negotiable; rushing the temperature produces tough, bitter results.

Move to the foil phase. Lay each rack on a double sheet of foil and apply brown sugar, honey, and butter to the meat side — the sugars will caramelise and the butter will keep everything moist under wrapping. A light dusting of rub goes over the top. Fold the foil tightly to create a sealed packet and return the racks to the smoker at 110°C for 2 hours. The humidity inside the foil softens the collagen and hastens tenderness. The meat will be nearly falling off the bone when done.

Unwrap carefully — the steam is violent — and return the racks to the open grate at 110°C for 30 minutes. Brush barbecue sauce onto both sides three times across this final phase, allowing 10 minutes between coats for the sauce to set and caramelise slightly. The repeated applications build flavour layers and a tacky glaze without burning. Avoid heavy soaking; you want adherence, not pooling sauce.

Pull from the smoker and wrap in foil for 15 minutes. This resting-after-cooking phase allows carryover cooking to even out and the fibres to relax, trapping juices. Slice between the bones and serve immediately. The meat should pull cleanly from the bone without tearing.