Spareribs - Sugarless Texas Sprinkle

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Buy 4 slabs of whole spareribs and trim to St. Louis style.Prepare the rub and apply to the ribs right before they go into the cooker.Fire the WSM using the Minion Method.Cook at 225-250°F for 2 hours, rotate 180°, and baste with apple juice.Cook for another 2 hours, then begin checking for tenderness using the "tear test".Continue cooking until tender, then apply barbecue sauce just before serving.

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Ingredients

  • RUB:
  • 4 Slabs Pork Spareribs, , 3 1/2 to 4 pounds each
  • 1/3 Cup Table Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Paprika
  • 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Cayenne
  • Combine, all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Makes about 1 cup
  • 1 Bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Bbq Sauce
  • Apple Juice, , in spray bottle

Preparation

Step 1

Apply a heavy sprinkling of rub to both sides of the ribs just before putting them into the cooker.

Use 4 chunks of apple smoke wood. Each chunk should be small, for example 3" x 2" x 2" or similar. Cherry, oak, or another mild fruit wood can be used if apple is not available.

There is no need to soak the wood or remove the bark before use.

I used 3 chunks of apple and 1 chunk of cherry.

Fire-Up The WSM

Fire-up the cooker using the Minion Method. Fill the charcoal chamber 3/4 full with unlit Kingsford charcoal briquettes, then place 20-40 lit coals on top of the unlit ones.

Barbecue The Ribs

Assemble the cooker and put 2 slabs bone-side down on each cooking grate, as shown in Picture 1. Set the 3 bottom vents to 100% open. Open the top vent fully and leave it that way throughout the entire cook.

When the cooker reaches about 225°F, set the 3 bottom vents to 25% open so the cooker settles in at 225-250°F measured at the lid. Adjust the 3 bottom vents as necessary to maintain this temperature range throughout the cooking session.

Cook for 2 hours, then rotate the slabs 180° on the grate (to account for any hot spots) as shown in Picture 2. Baste the meat side with apple juice from a spray bottle.

Cook for another 2 hours, then begin to check for tenderness by using the "tear test". Take hold of two adjacent bones toward the middle of the slab and give them a pull. If the meat offers a bit of resistance but then tears easily, you know the ribs are done just right.

If the ribs don''t pass the test at 4 hours—and they probably won''t—baste again with apple juice and cook for another 30 minutes, then test again. Repeat until the ribs are tender. Total cooking time for St. Louis style spareribs should be 4-5 hours, but may take longer depending on the size of the ribs, cooker temperature, and other variables. Let the "tear test" be your guide.

Note that some slabs may cook faster than others. If this happens, remove the done ribs from the cooker, wrap in aluminum foil, and place them in an empty cooler wrapped in towels to keep warm until the others are done.

Once all the slabs are tender, brush the meat side with your favorite barbecue sauce and cook 5 minutes, then sauce again and cook another 5 minutes.

Once the ribs pass the "tear test" and have been sauced, remove them from the cooker and enjoy immediately with your favorite side dishes.

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