Dorsi's Freedom Baby Back Ribs with Tangy Apple BBQ Sauce

My Freedom Ribs! Adapted from Weber's Smoke Cookbook by Jamie Purviance

The Story Behind the Ribs

I adapted this from a couple of different recipes in Weber's Smoke Cookbook, modifying things over the years to make it my own. I make this for Juneteenth and 4th of July! This recipe is built for a strong smoke intensity and uses a traditional "low and slow" indirect cooking method. I highly recommend using a water smoker, but you can absolutely modify and use any kind of grill as a smoker if you set it up right. When it comes to how many racks to make, you can really do as many as you want. I find that since smoking takes so long, I like to do a bunch at once. I usually aim for four racks of ribs (each about 2.5 to 3 lbs). Four racks might seem kind of excessive because you end up with a lot of ribs, but as long as there are people in your life who love ribs, you can just give them away to your friends!

• Prep Time: ~1 hour (plus 30 minutes to soak wood chips)

• Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours

• Yield: 4 racks of ribs (perfect for a crowd or sharing)

The Marriage-Saving Pro-Tip: Your hair and clothes will smell like smoke by the end of this. If your smoker is set up close to the house, keep all of your windows and doors tightly closed—otherwise, your entire house will smell like smoke for a week!

Equipment Needed

• Small spray bottle (crucial for the mop)

• Rib rack (highly helpful for spacing out multiple racks)

• Large baking sheets (for easy transport from kitchen to smoker)

• Medium saucepan & Mason jars (for the sauce)

• Grill or Water Smoker

Ingredients

The Star of the Show

• 4 racks baby back ribs (2.5 to 3 lbs each)

• 4 large handfuls of hickory wood chips OR 5 fist-sized chunks (Hickory is my go-to, but feel free to play around with different types of wood. Make sure to have extra chunks on hand to feed the fire as you go).

The Freedom Rub

This is my go-to rub, but the beauty of it is that a rub can really be anything you want. Note: If you are doing maximum capacity, you will need more rub, so feel free to double these amounts!

• 2 tbsp Kosher salt

• 1 tbsp Paprika

• 1 tbsp Chili powder

• 2 tsp Mustard powder

• 2 tsp Dried thyme

• 1 tsp Ground cumin (Sometimes I'll use whole coriander or whole cumin seeds instead and use a mortar and pestle to pummel them into the rub!)

• 1 tsp Celery seed

• 1 tsp Ground black pepper

The Mop (Spray Bottle)

• 3/4 cup Unsweetened apple juice

• 1/4 cup Cider vinegar

  (Note: If you prefer a little less tang, you can modify this to $\frac{1}{2}$ cup apple juice and 1 tbsp cider vinegar).

Tangy Apple BBQ Sauce

This homemade barbecue sauce is absolutely delicious, easy to make, and it produces quite a bit. I often double this batch so I can store it throughout the year.

• 2 cups Ketchup

• 1/2 cup Unsweetened apple juice

• 1/4 cup Cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup Yellow mustard

• 2 tbsp Molasses

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp Granulated garlic

• 1/2 tsp Chipotle chili powder (If you don't have chipotle on hand, don't worry—I never seem to have it on hand either! Standard chili powder works great).

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Wood, Smoker, & Ribs

1. Soak the Wood: If you are using large wood chips, get them soaking in water for at least 30 minutes before you plan to start.

2. Fire Up the Smoker: Prepare your smoker or grill for indirect cooking over very low heat. Make sure your cooking grates are nice and clean. How you prepare your smoker depends entirely on what kind you are using, so follow your manufacturer's instructions or feel free to look up the best method for your specific rig. You are aiming for a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. The Membrane Dilemma: Check the back of your ribs. There is a possibility that there’s a membrane covering the bone side. Most of the time when I buy ribs, there isn't one, but occasionally there is. It can take a bit of time to get off: you slide the tip of a dull knife under the membrane, lift to loosen it, grab a corner, and pull it off. Personally? I don't bother with that anymore. I just let it ride. It comes off way easier after smoking anyway, so don't worry about it.

4. Mix & Apply Rub: In a small bowl, mix all of your Freedom Rub ingredients together. Season all of the racks evenly with the rub.

5. Rest: Arrange the ribs on large baking sheets. If you are using a rib rack, stand the ribs up in the rack facing the same direction meatiest part up. Let the racks stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. (If you have a helper, this is the perfect time to tag-team it: one person preps the ribs while the other preps the smoker).

Step 2: The Low & Slow Smoke (4 to 5 Hours)

1. Drain your soaked wood chips. Add two handfuls of the chips (or your wood chunks) to your smoker box or charcoal. Close the lid.

2. Mix your apple juice and cider vinegar together and pour the mixture into your small spray bottle.

3. When the wood begins to smoke, place the ribs on the grates. Close the lid and cook over indirect low heat.

4. Every Hour On the Hour (The Maintenance Phase): * Add more charcoal or fuel as necessary to maintain the heat. You want to hit a "sweet spot"—if it gets too hot, you'll ruin the low-and-slow texture; if it drops too low, it will take forever to smoke.

   • Add one or more wood chunks to the charcoal to maintain a steady, constant stream of smoke until your wood chunks are gone.

   • Generously spray the ribs with your apple juice mop on both sides. Doing this pretty frequently while they smoke creates an incredible, deeply flavorful crust on the ribs that is super, super tasty.

     

Step 3: Make the Tangy Apple BBQ Sauce

1. While the ribs are working their magic on the smoker, combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan.

2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.

3. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Once the sauce has cooled, pour your extra sauce into mason jars to save for later in the year.

Step 4: The Ultimate Doneness Test & Service

1. Around the 4 to 5-hour mark, you will notice the meat has shrunk back from the bones by at least half an inch.

2. The Bend Test: This is how you really know they are done. Use your tongs to lift up one of the racks from the end. The rack should bend beautifully right in the middle, and you should see the meat tear easily. If the meat does not tear easily, it's not ready! You have to continue to cook it until it does.

3. The Sauce Debate: I prefer not to add my barbecue sauce until the very end because I want that gorgeous mop-crust to shine. However, some people like to brush the barbecue sauce on during the final 20–30 minutes of smoking so it "smokes into" the meat. That choice is entirely up to you.

4. Pull the ribs off the smoker, slice them up, and serve them warm with plenty of your homemade Tangy Apple BBQ sauce on the side.

If you have questions, you can contact me. Enjoy your freedom ribs—yum yum!

Me, not smoking ribs but getting ready to do a filet of beef. Next recipe! And yes, you can grill in a dress.