We're going to start with the smoker. For this tutorial we will be looking assuming that you are smoking your ribs on a smoker. You can adjust the process for a grill if you must (see Barbecue Ribs on the Grill). You want to set up your smoker to hold a temperature around 225 degrees F (107 degrees C) for about 6 hours (see Smoking 101 for more information). You will want a strong smoke source at the beginning of the cooking time and again at the end if you add sauce to your ribs. This is best done by adding wood chunks to the fire when you first put the ribs on the smoker to cook.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel and a good strong fire going with your smoker adjusted to hold the right temperature and we'll get started on preparing the ribs.
The supplies you will need for this are:
- racks of ribs (I'm working with spareribs but you can use baby back ribs)
- A good Rib Rub
- Fuel for your smoker (like charcoal or whatever your smoker burns)
- Wood Chunks
- A reliable meat thermometer
- Heavy duty aluminum foil (if you intend to wrap your ribs)
- Barbecue Sauce if you intend to sauce your ribs
- A large knife
