Some like their ribs to fall off the bone, but the restaurant and competition ribs are generally tend to be tender but firm to the bone.
Follow this recipe and you’ll get a perfect restaurant style rib every time.
This is a step by step guide to help you through making the perfect smoked ribs.
Restaurant Style Smoked Tender Ribs
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 4 hours |
| Total time | 4 hours, 30 minutes |
| By author | Dish Ditty |
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of Ribs (Baby Back)
- 1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Rub (I prefer Pappy's Prime Rib Rub)
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- Large Tin Foil Sheets (Heavy duty is best)
- Smoker with a temp of 200 degrees
Directions
| Preparing the Ribs | |
| Step 1 | |
 With a paper towel, wipe the moisture on the membrane side. At the small end, with a paper towel, rip off the membrane. You do this by using the paper towel to get a hold of the thin membrane that is on the back of the rib, slowly pull down to remove the membrane from the ribs. | |
| Step 2 | |
 A second look at the membrane being pulled off | |
| Step 3 | |
 OPTIONAL: If the membrane is tough and won't come off, you can use a knife to make a slit between each rib on the membrane side. This will allow the flavor to penetrate and will make it easier to cut the ribs when cooked. | |
| Step 4 | |
 Pour Garlic Olive Oil on the bone side, rub it in and turn over and rub the olive oil on the meat side. You can use mustard if you want a different binder to keep the rub on. | |
| Step 5 | |
 Sprinkle Rub on the ribs on both sides (about 1-2 tablespoons per side), no need to rub it in.. Add the brown sugar, one side at a time, rubbing it in. | |
| Smoking the ribs | |
| Step 6 | |
 Using a temperature of 180-200 degrees, place the ribs bone side down onto the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. | |
| Step 7 | |
 Then turn over and cook for one more hour keeping the temperature between 180-200 degrees. | |
| Wrap & Cook | |
| Step 8 | |
 Lay down two wide sheets of tin foil (or two sets of two regular size tin foil sheets) per rack of ribs. Pour honey on the tin foil in a zig/zag pattern. | |
| Step 9 | |
 Remove the ribs from the smoker and place the rib meat side down. | |
| Step 10 | |
 Pour honey on the rib side and sprinkle Rub (about 1/2 tablespoon). Flip the rib over, and sprinkle the meat side with rub (about 1/2 tablespoon). | |
| Step 11 | |
 Wrap with the first sheet of foil... | |
| Step 12 | |
 Flip and wrap again to create a sealed wrap to keep the juices from escaping and making a mess. | |
| Finish them! | |
| Step 13 | |
|
Place the wrapped ribs in a 200 degree oven (or back on the smoker, your preference). Bake for an additional 1 hour. Ribs should bend nicely when held up from one end with tongs and you should see the bone but the meat should not be falling off the bone. | |
| Serve em up! | |
| Step 14 | |
 Time to eat! Serve them with BBQ Sauce on the side. Or, if you prefer, put them on the grill with BBQ sauce to finish them. (I prefer the sauce on the side). | |
Or… do you want fall off the bone?
If you want Fall off the Bone Ribs, here’s a great recipe:
Fall off the bone homestyle Smoked Ribs
| By author | Dish Ditty Recipes |
Ingredients
- Baby Back Ribs
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Pappy's Prime Rib Seasoning
- Brown Sugar
- Molasses
Directions
| Preparing the Ribs | |
| Step 1 | |
| Mix garlic with the olive oil in a small bowl and set aside. | |
| Step 2 | |
| With a paper towel, wipe the moisture on the membrane side. At the small end, with a paper towel, rip off the membrane. If the membrane is tough and won’t come off, with a knife make a slit between each rib on the membrane side to allow the flavor to penetrate. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Pour Garlic Olive Oil on the bone side , rub and turn over and rub the olive oil on the meat side. Sprinkle Prime Rib Rub all over the ribs but don’t rub. Rub on Brown sugar. | |
| Smoking the Ribs | |
| Step 4 | |
| Cook bone side down for 1.5 hours. Then turn over and cook for 1.5 more hours with the smoke. Remove from grill and… | |
| Wrap & Cook | |
| Step 5 | |
| Put down two pieces of tin foil per rib. On the tinfoil, pour a zigzag pattern of Molasses (can use honey or agave, but molasses gives a better flavor). Put rib down meat side. Pour more molasses on the rib side and sprinkle Prime Rib Rub. Wrap with the first sheet of foil, flip and wrap again to keep things nice and neat. | |
| Finish them! | |
| Step 6 | |
| Place wrapped ribs on cookie sheets and place in the over an 240 degrees for about 2 more hours. Temperature must be over 160, but will likely be 180 or more. Be careful unwrapping the ribs. There will be a nice sauce/glaze as you open up the foil packets. Save that sauce and serve with ribs instead of needing to add BBQ sauce. | |
