Perfectly caramelized and full of flavor, these smoked baby back ribs are hands-down the best. Just look at that finish! Tender, succulent ribs are glazed with our special recipe for the taste you will seriously crave.
Combine the all purpose rub and the brown sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Whiskey Glaze
Combine the brown sugar, butter and whiskey in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil until it is thick which should take 4-6 minutes. Stir or whisk to keep the glaze mixed well. It will be thin like a syrup.
Baby Back Ribs
Rub the ribs on both sides of the ribs.
Heat up the smoker to 225-250 degrees. Put the ribs on the grate. MEAT SIDE DOWN IF YOU WANT A STRONGER SMOKE FLAVOR.
Smoke for 4 to 4.5 hours until when you use the tongs to lift of the rack of ribs, they BEND down. If they bend OUT, they are not quite ready yet. You are looking for them to be limp.
Apply the whiskey glaze 2-3 times. I like to apply, close the lid and wait a couple minutes. Apply again and do the same thing for a total of 2-3 times. This will create a harder bark on the outside.
Remove from the smoker and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes or so.
Notes
Serving Amount: One rack of ribs should feed 3 people. Adjust the amount of racks you are smoking to accommodate that. If you smoke 2-3 racks at a time, it should not impact the total amount of time needed to smoke them.Bend Method for Ribs: These are ready for glaze and finish when they bed down toward the grill like something is pulling on them. If they flare out to the side when you lift them up in the middle, they are not quite ready for basting.Smoking Wood Choices: The Bourbon Barrel Blocks for smoking (shown in one of the images above) are amazing for this recipe. Bourbon-flavored smoke. How could it get any better than that? This is one of the most genius uses of old whiskey barrels I've ever seen. If you don't have Bourbon Blocks, use wood that you love and don't forget to reference the Wood Smoking Cheat Sheet. Removing Silver Skin: Remove the silver membrane from the surface of the ribs if there is one. This "silver skin" as it is called, is unpleasantly chewy when left on. It can usually be cut in one corner and then peeled off fairly easily.Always Allow Time to Rest: Rest your meat. When you remove the ribs from the smoker, wrap them in foil for a short rest while you bring everything and everyone to the table. This allows the meat to rest and redistribute juices.Don't Overpack the Smoker: Make sure there is room for air to circulate around each rack of ribs in your smoker.Rub Amounts: Be generous with the rub and give it plenty of time to soak into the meat if possible. Thirty minutes wrapped in plastic wrap after applying the rub will improve the flavor and moisture in the meat.