In this tutorial I am going to explain the way I prep my babyback ribs for the smoker. I hope you find this information useful the next time you prepare babyback ribs. Happy Q'n!

The babyback rib, considered by most, the jewel of the pig. These ribs when prepared correctly can be some of the finest ribs you have ever tasted. Some will say they prefer the sparerib to the babyback due to the sparerib containing more meat per bone, while others will say the babyback rivals due to the tenderness of the final product. In this tutorial we will focus on the babyback and save the sparerib for a later time.

Once you have rinsed and patted dry your babyback ribs, the 1st, and most important thing is to remove the membrane from the back side of the rack. By doing this you are allowing the smoke and seasoning to penetrate both sides of the rack as opposed to 1 side, and also making the rib more enjoyable to eat. The membrane is a layer on the backsaide of the rib that no matter how long you cook your ribs, will never disappear. The difference in the final result by removing this prior to cooking is highly noticeable.

So lets first begin by locating the membrane on the backside of the rack. You should be able to find a starting point at the end of the rack in the upper corner. Once you have started to peel the membrane, be sure to work slowly, and with a little luck it will all come off in 1 piece! Though this only seems to happen when you are not in a hurry, remove the entire membrane. Once the membrane is removed, I want you to stretch a piece out and feel the elasticity, poke your finger through, and get an idea of what you were trying to chew prior to learning this. Can you imagine trying to chew this before?

Now that the membrane is removed, you can filp the rack over to its presentation side and remove any lingering silverskin left on by the butcher. Most racks I have come across have little to no silverskin, but silverskin is yet another thing that will never disappear during cooking, and it very difficult to chew.

Now it is time to seaon your ribs. I recommend using BigNugg's Spice n' Stuff all purpose dry rub, but any of your favorite seasoning blends will do. Your seasoning blend will determine the amount of rub applied to the meat. A dry rub containing a good portion of salt would be applied less that a dry rub based around sugar and other spices. If you are using Spice n' Stuff, you want to apply a good amount to both sides of the rack as shown in the photos. Make sure to rub it in well to ensure the seasoning will penetrate the meat properly. Once you have seasoned the ribs, let them set for 15 minutes, and place in cooker at about 225 degrees for aprox 4-5 hours. The ribs are done when the meat starts to pull away from the bone with no resistance. Glaze ribs during the last 15 minutes of cooking time and enjoy!

I hope this tutorial helps you learn, brush up, or fine tune your cooking process. If you have a questions regarding this tutorial please contact us here. Enjoy the ribs and stay tuned for more tutorials to follow.