Texas Style Ribs Recipe
With Texas Style Ribs it’s all about the meat and the smoke… and what seasonings they do use, they keep simple. And there is nothing wrong with simple… Beef is king in Texas, but they also do some mighty fine pork ribs… and that is what I’m doing today – my take on a Texas Style Rib. For these Texas Style Ribs I’m using a really good quality meat, salt, pepper and smoke. I’m starting with 2 slabs of spare ribs. These ribs are a heritage breed and they have a lot of marbling, so you know they are going to be good.
To season these Texas Style Ribs I use no binder – just a mixture of salt and pepper (2 parts pepper to 1 part salt). Then I get them on the smoker running at 275 with a light smoke. Traditionally in Texas they use Post Oak, but I didn’t have any on hand and substituted a few chunks of local pecan wood.
After 45 minutes in the smoke, I spritz the Texas Style Ribs with a mixture of 1 cup Water and ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar. Keep smoking for 2.5 hours and make sure to baste every 45 minutes or so.
Once the ribs reach the dark, mahogany color I’m shooing for, I wrap them in foil – adding a little additional baste to the wrap.
Now it’s time to get the Texas Style Ribs tender. I’m shooting to smoke the ribs in the foil for an additional 2 hours. But I always check 1 hour into the wrap. Then again at the 1 hour and 30 minute mark… and again at the 1 hour and 45 minute mark. These two slabs of ribs were done at the 1 hour and 45 minute mark.
Once the ribs are tender, I pull them off the smoker and allow them to rest for about 15 minutes. Then it’s time to eat!
These Texas Style Ribs are simple, smokey, moist and delicious. I couldn’t’ stop eating these ribs!
If you like a simple, tender rib, You’ve got to give these Texas Style Ribs a try.
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Texas Style Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 slabs St. Louis Spare Ribs
- ½ cup Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare Smoker for indirect cooking at 275⁰.
- Remove ribs from packaging, trim excess fat and remove membrane from bone side.
- Combine Salt and Black Pepper in a bowl and pour into a shaker bottle.
- Season ribs liberally on both sides with salt/pepper mixture.
- Place ribs on smoker and add pecan wood chunks to the fire for smoke.
- Mix Water and Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Spritz ribs every 45 minutes.
- After 2.5 hours remove ribs from smoker, spritz with vinegar mixture and wrap in aluminum foil.
- Return ribs to smoker and continue to cook for approximately 2 hours. (Check ribs for doneness after 1 hour and every 15 minutes after. Once desired tenderness is reached pull of smoker)
- Rest ribs for 15 minutes and serve.
Texas Style RibsHave a Question About This Recipe?
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Hi Malcom, I am putting together a BBQ for work where there is going to be about 100 people and was wondering if you have any tips for doing your competition ribs for around 40 slabs of ribs. Particularly how I can easily do the Texas Crutch for that many. I will be able to use a cooker that is a trailer for this occasion. Any tips or help would be much appreciated. The BBQ is on Wednesday May 11th.
All the best
Phil Seddon
If I was cooking 40 slabs of ribs, I wouldn’t do competition method – and I wouldn’t wrap. When we do catering jobs that large, we usually use this method: https://howtobbqright.com/2014/08/01/memphis-style-dry-ribs/ And either serve them dry or apply a sauce for the last 15 minutes for a sauced rib.
Just used this recipe for my first smoker cook, and it turned out great. Really simple to follow. Can’t wait to try it again soon!
Love this recipe. Tried for the first time a few months back. Again tonight
Malcolm,
Greetings from Austin, TX. I’m planning to do these ribs for Mother’s Day as my first time on a Big Green Egg. Should I follow the temperature and timing directions in this recipe, or make any adjustments for a BGE? Thanks.
You will follow the temp and time in this recipe – but you are really are cooking to color then wrap the ribs and then cook until they are tender.
Good morning. So I have a question (as I am learning the terminology). In the instructions you say “After 45 minutes in the smoke, I SPRITZ the Texas Style Ribs with a mixture of 1 cup Water and ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar. Keep smoking for 2.5 hours and make sure to BASTE every 45 minutes or so.” please correct me if I am wrong, “Spritzing” is using a spray bottle and “basting” would be using a brush or a mop right? So, are you spritzing with the mixture AND basting with something else? If so, what are you basting with? Sorry if these are silly questions but like I said, I’m trying to learn this beautiful art they call BBQ lol…..Thank you for your time……Chris
I use those words interchangeably – you can mop or spritz as long as you apply moisture to the outside of the ribs to keep them from getting dry.
Thanks, Malcom. You are truly the best.
Great video very simple. I usually do 3-2-1 method, but that’s when I sauce them. Looking forward to trying this method thanks !
Hey Y’all, THIS recipe is the BOMBDIGGITY of all rib recipes ! When I started truck’n in 1999, I had a limited experience of bbq ribs. Then I started trying them around this country. When I came across Soulman’s in Texas, DRY RUB RIBS, it’s the only way for me, I knew I’d found the best I ever had, or ever would, until I found HowToBBQRight . And just last year I got my first grill, a pellet smoker, and set out looking for that Texas style, and to recreate it. Next I found this install of Malcom’s salt & pepper, variation.
And EUREKA !
That’s some good, right thar.
Thanks for putting all your talented cook’n abilities on for us Malcom ! I’ve used several recipes for different types of meats already, ALL WINNERS, and am planning on starting a new traditional Christmas dinner at our place this year of Malcom’s smoked standing rib roast recipe.
When I talk about finding Malcom’s site and store supplies, I call him my… BBQ GURU .
Thanks again Bubba !
God Bless,
Peace.
★★★★★
Very Delicius.
Thank you from Germany for this Recipe
★★★★★