Low and slow, like my texting. I smoke baby backs and spares at 225–250°F and judge them by tenderness, not the clock.
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Smoking ribs at 225–250°F? Baby backs usually take about 5–6 hours and spare ribs about 6–7, but go by tenderness, not the clock. Pork is safe at 145°F; ribs get tender around 195–203°F when the collagen melts. Check it out in the Only Ribs guide.
Flip the rack bone-side up, slide a butter knife under the thin membrane at one end, then grab it with a paper towel and peel. It comes off in one satisfying strip if you're lucky. Removing it helps the rub soak in and makes ribs more tender.
Pick up the rack with tongs about a third of the way in. If it bends easily and the bark starts to crack, they're ready. Pair it with a thermometer reading around 195–203°F between the bones for tender ribs.
I tried to tell my ribs a joke, but they were too tender. My smoker and I have a lot in common: we both take forever and need constant attention. Rib-ticklers, all of them.
Sauce ribs in the last 30 minutes or so. Most barbecue sauces have a lot of sugar, which scorches if it's on too long. Dry rub up front, sauce at the end, and nobody gets bitter, including you.
The 3-2-1 method for spare ribs: 3 hours unwrapped smoke, 2 hours wrapped in foil with a splash of liquid, then 1 hour unwrapped to set the sauce, all around 225°F. Baby backs are smaller, so many cooks use 2-2-1 instead. Start checking early; every rack is different.