Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs

Name: Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Creekstone Farms Duroc Spare Ribs, trimmed St. Louis style; Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub; 1 part apple cider; 1 part apple cider vinegar; 1 part whiskey

Jun 21, 2022 • Tom Jackson

Create big-time Texas BBQ flavor with Chef Tom's recipe for perfectly cooked, apple-whiskey spritzed pork ribs with an irresistible bark and smoke - it'll be love at first bite!

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Spritzing as a binder, not just moisture: Spraying the ribs with apple-whiskey spritz before seasoning gives the rub something tacky to cling to, so it's doing double duty as both a binder and a flavor base.
Holding off on spritzing for the first two hours: Letting the rub set and the bark start forming before the first spritz keeps the seasoning from washing off too early, so the bark builds properly before any added moisture hits it.
Judging doneness by the bend test: Lifting the rack and watching for the ends to sag while the center cracks is a more reliable readout of tenderness than a clock, since it directly shows the collagen has broken down.
A brisket rub on ribs: Using Cattleman's Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub instead of a standard pork rub brings a peppery, Texas-style brisket profile to the ribs — that's where the "Texas inspired" flavor in this recipe actually comes from.

Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs

Tom Jackson

Rated 3.9 stars by 24 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

8

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

5 hours

Calories

311

Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS1500s Pellet Grill for Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs. These Texas inspired apple-whiskey spritzed pork ribs feature big-time flavor, bark and smoke!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Creekstone Farms Duroc Spare Ribs, trimmed St. Louis style
Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub

For the Apple-Whiskey Spritz:

1 part apple cider
1 part apple cider vinegar
1 part whiskey

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Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS1500s Pellet Grill to 275ºF set up for smoking.
To make the Apple-Whiskey Spritz, combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to mix.
Spray your St. Louis trimmed Creekstone Farms Duroc Spare Ribs with the Apple-Whiskey Spritz; just enough to form a thin layer for binding your seasoning to the meat.
Season with Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub on all sides.
Transfer the ribs to the smoker, bone side down. Smoke for about 2 hours before beginning to spritz, then spritz the ribs every 45-60 minutes until the ribs are done.
The ribs are done cooking when the ends of the rack stay on the cooking rack when the rack is lifted 4” - 6” off the grate from the center of the rack, and the meat in the center of the rack begins to crack/break during the lifting process.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Why spritz the ribs before seasoning instead of seasoning them dry?
The apple-whiskey spritz creates a thin, tacky layer that helps the Lone Star Brisket Rub adhere to the meat, working as a binder while also adding a subtle sweet-tart note under the bark.

Why wait two hours before starting to spritz during the smoke?
Holding off lets the rub set and the bark begin forming undisturbed. Spritzing too early can wash off seasoning before it's had a chance to bind, so the two-hour head start protects the crust.

Why use a brisket rub on pork ribs instead of a pork-specific rub?
Cattleman's Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub brings a peppery, Texas-style profile that's usually reserved for beef. Using it here is what gives these ribs their "Texas inspired" character instead of a more traditional sweet pork rub flavor.

What internal temperature should the ribs actually reach?
This recipe uses a bend/crack test instead of a target number: the rack should sag at the ends and the meat should crack in the center when lifted 4-6 inches off the grate. As whole-muscle pork, spare ribs are safe once they clear the USDA minimum of 145°F, but reaching this tender, bend-test stage typically means climbing into the 195-205°F range, similar to brisket.

Why spritz every 45-60 minutes instead of on a fixed schedule tied to total cook time?
Spritzing at a steady interval keeps the surface from drying out over a long cook without oversaturating the bark, regardless of exactly how long the ribs ultimately take to finish.

How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5 — this is a multi-hour smoke built around a pellet grill's low, steady heat and wood smoke. An oven can get the ribs tender, but you'll lose the bark and smoke flavor that define the dish.

Recipe Highlights

Spritz as binder: Doubles as both a rub adhesive and a subtle flavor layer.
Delayed spritzing: Waiting two hours protects the bark while it's still forming.
A brisket rub on pork: Borrowing a beef-style rub gives these ribs their distinct Texas character.
The bend test: A physical doneness check that reads tenderness more reliably than a clock.

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Nutrition

Nutrition Serving Size: 5.06 oz
per serving: Calories; 311

Amount/Serving % Daily Value

Carbs: grams
Protein: 19 grams
Fat: 25 grams
Sodium: 730 milligrams

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Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Salt & Pepper Pork Spare Ribs

Category

Cuisine

Servings

Prep Time

Cook Time

Calories

Ingredients

For the Apple-Whiskey Spritz:

Directions

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Recipe Highlights

Recommended Recipes

Nutrition

Nutrition

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