Grocery Basket
baby back ribs, Meat Mitch Whomp Rub, Meat Mitch Steer Rub, Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce, honey, brown sugar, butter, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard
Method
Grill
Category
Barbecue and Grilling
Servings
1–6
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
5–6 hours
Ribs are the perfect game day dish because they’re predictable and pack tremendous flavor in each bite. Pulled pork and brisket, for instance, have a wide range of cook times and can vary quite a bit in actual size (or volume). But ribs are easier to time out, and folks don’t have to eat many of them to feel satisfied.
To best prepare to serve ribs at your game day gathering, get these ribs in the smoker seven and a half hours before kickoff. Total cook time is five and a half-ish hours, and once done, they can be wrapped and held in a cooler, ready to be eaten. You can also wait to do step 3 (glaze and final cook) until 30 minutes before eating so they’re coming off the smoker for guests. Mitch recommends ribs and nachos when guests first arrive to be eaten pregame and during the first half, then doing smashed burgers at halftime.
_____________________________________
We here at Hungry Fan are beyond pleased to include recipes from our newest content contributor, Mitchell Schwartz! You may know Mitch from his Super Bowl-winning feats on the gridiron with the Kansas City Chiefs. Or maybe you know him for his love of food and his kickass cooking video series, Mitch in the Kitch.
Ingredients
Apple cider vinegar
Honey
1 rack baby back ribs
Yellow mustard
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Brown sugar
Directions
Sauce
Combine 1/2 cup Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup honey. Mix well and set aside.
Ribs
Preheat smoker to 175–225° F.
Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Then apply a very thin layer of yellow mustard to both sides and rub to distribute evenly.
Generously and evenly season the underside of the ribs with the Steer and Whomp rubs.
Generously season the topside of the ribs with the Whomp Rub.
Place ribs in smoker for 3 hours.
Remove ribs from the smoker and place them meat-side-down onto a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil. Adjust smoker temperature to 250° F.
Combine the butter with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Brush the ribs with half the mixture, then sprinkle with brown sugar, drizzle with honey, and add an additional layer of Steer rub. Flip the ribs and repeat the process, but use the Whomp rub instead.
Encase the ribs in the foil, folding the foil to ensure that the steam inside does not leave. Place back into your smoker.
Check the ribs after 90 minutes if they’re thinner or after 1 hour and 45 minutes if they’re thicker. You’re looking for pullback on the bones of about 1/4–1/2 inch. Once ready, remove the ribs from the smoker and up the temperature to 350° F.
Sauce the now cooked ribs on both sides and place back into your smoker. Let them cook for another 20–30 minutes. Once the sauce has set and the sugars have caramelized, remove, slice, and enjoy!
Recipe Note
PRO TIPS
1. When selecting the correct temperature at which to smoke your ribs, use this as a rule of thumb: 175° F for thin ribs, 200° F for medium thickness, and 225° F for thick ribs.
2. The more brown sugar and honey you use, the sweeter the ribs. "Competition" style ribs tend to be on the sweeter side. And sweeter ribs are generally good if you plan to only eat a few, say, at a homegate party. But too much sugar can almost burn out your taste buds. So if you plan to enjoy the rack yourself, or a good portion of it, ease up on the sugar and honey in Step 7. (Remember, there is already more honey in the sauce.)
3. Meat Mitch is a (perfectly named) company that author Mitch Schwartz found in the Kansas City area. If you don't have the Meat Mitch products on hand, you can certainly use any sauces and rubs you like. These just happen to be a favorite of Mitch's and have yielded some pretty tasty ribs.