Slowly Smoked Meaty BBQ Pork Ribs

Slowly smoked pork ribs cooked in a BBQ are both delicious and remarkably easy to cook; you just need time and a BBQ with a lid!

Smoking ribs is a bit of a project cooking job, but it is easy; you need to factor in an overnight marinade and around a 6-7 hour cooking time. But you spend very little time actually cooking.

Smokey Sticky BBQ Ribs

I have a thing about ribs! It does not matter whether they are cooked in the oven like my Korean gochujang ribs, slow cooker like my char siu ribs, Instant Pot like my Chinese Spare Ribs and apple glazed Instant Pot ribs or smoked on the BBQ like these.

Like so many of my meaty BBQ recipes, this one has an overnight marinade in a dry rub.

They are then smoked using a "3,2,1" method, which is wonderful for pork ribs. 3 hours smoked uncovered, 2 hours cooked wrapped and then 1 hour to glaze in a homemade BBQ sauce.

Yes, that is a long time, but we are talking at a very low temperature here. We aim to keep our smoker somewhere between 100-110°C or 210-225°F.

In the main, it is all downtime, and you can get on with your day.

The secret to perfect smoked ribs is just that, the less you do to them, the better, just leave them well alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of smoker do you use?

I use a barrel BBQ with an offset smoker. I find them to be the best "utility" BBQ (The image below is me working on mine).

They offer plenty of room to set up direct and indirect heat, and the ability to smoke foods, too.

What sort of smoking chips do you use?

I ordered some whisky barrel chips for these smoked ribs, but there are a host of options available.

Depending on where you are in the world will define what you can lay your hands on. They will all subtly change the flavour of your dish. 

Apple, cherry and walnut are three of my favourites, but Hickory and even oak are good and very popular.

What sort of thermometer do you use?

Despite my BBQ having a built-in thermometer, I use a meat thermometer with a probe attached by a cable. I got it from IKEA, and it cost about £8-10.

That means I can leave it on the smoker and get an accurate reading at a quick glance.

What sort of pork should I buy?

When it comes to buying ribs, you want to get some with a good amount of meat and a nice fat content.

You should also look for something even in profile along the length because they will cook more evenly.

What methodology do you use?

I favour a 6-hour, 3-phase cooking process for ribs.

• Stage 1: The Smoking... This is 3 hours long and all about getting that smoky flavour into the meat. This is where your smoke chips are added.
• Stage 2: Tenderising... Wrapping the meat in foil and cooking for a couple of hours helps break down all the chewy stuff.
• Stage 3: A bit more flavour. I use the last hour to add a little bit of a BBQ glaze. It primarily adds a little sweetness.

Serving Suggestions

When it comes to sides for your smoked pork ribs, you can go anywhere you like.

I prefer salads personally, mainly because your BBQ/grill is tied up cooking the ribs at a low temperature.

As a result, if you want to add veggies, you need to be sure that you can cook them in the allotted time at a very low temperature.

Good options are softer vegetables, such as asparagus or broccoli, both of which can go in for the final hour of cooking. Throw them in a foil tray with some olive oil and garlic and let them sit there.

When it comes to salads, one of my favourites at the start of BBQ season would be my samphire and asparagus salad.

Pasta salads are also a fantastic option; something like this chickpea pasta salad would be superb.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• BBQ, I use a barrel BBQ with an offset smoker.
• A thermometer to check the temperature of the BBQ. If your BBQ has a built-in thermometer, this is not required.
• Charcoal and smoking chips.
• Kitchen tongs.
• Mixing bowl and a large freezer bag.
• Hob/Stovetop.
• Small 15cm or 6" saucepan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Blender.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Kitchen foil.