Slow Smoked Pork Loin Ribs

with homemade barbeque sauce

Dinner

My Thoughts

These slow-smoked ribs take a little time (and several dismal failures on my part) to get finished, but it is well worth the wait! These ribs gave me fits last year. Yeah, fat guy having a fit in the backyard. I am sure the neighbors appreciated that. I actually did not pull them off at all last year (which was the first year I really started using my smoker). They tasted good, but ate like a pork chop (my wife - also known as the picky eater - was not a fan). That's why I rated them as very difficult. It was for me and it will be for you too. At least that's what I tell myself so I don't feel so sad and pathetic.

This year has been a totally different story though. The key(s) have been the water/beer combination in the soak for the chips and the water tray. Oh, and also the mop. That made all the difference.

I know, if you've been smoking meats for a long time you're probably having a good laugh about now but it took me a bit to figure it out. The dogs didn't seem to mind the experimenting. It meant the picky eater had more leftovers to share.

The How To Do It

  1. Pre-soak your wood chips for about an hour before you are ready to go. If you go longer, it will not hurt anything. I use a 50/50 of water and beer. I use the same mixture in the water pan in the smoker as well. I use a lighter and sweeter beer and it gives a nice sweetness to the meat. Also, and it may just be my imagination, but it seems to make the meat more tender.
  2. Preheat your smoker to 225°. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. This may have (and probably has already) been removed at the store but you want to make sure.
  3. Coat the ribs with the olive oil. This gives the rub something to stick to. You can use whatever oil you usually use to cook with by the way.
  4. Sprinkle the rub onto the ribs. Go heavy here. I listed it as a 1/4 cup, but you want it to cover the entire rack really well. You went to the trouble to make it after all, and it's where the flavor comes from (well, along with the smoke). Be sure to rub it in.
  5. My smoker does not have a large enough water pan or tray for the chips to get through the entire smoke, so I have to reload it periodically. For me it's about every two hours. You may not have to deal with it at all.
  6. After about three hours I pull the ribs from the smoker and baste them with the mop and then place them back in the smoker for another hour or so.
  7. For the last 60-90 minutes of the smoke, I pull the ribs out and place them on foil, give them a really good mop and then wrap them up and place them back in the smoker to finish. I do leave a hole in the top of the foil so that they do not steam too much and a little more smoke can get in there.
  8. Serve with the barbecue sauce of your choice (you should pick mine), or go straight at them with nothing at all.

Dry Rub

  1. Mix everything into a bowl and store it away until you need it - that's it, you're done.
recipe icon
Go To Recipe Page

Bad Murphy Barbecue Sauce

  1. Mince one medium shallot. I like shallots for this because they are a little milder in taste and a little sweeter, but you could use a quarter of a red onion if that's what you've got.
  2. If you are using the completely optional hot peppers, dice them up now. If you are using the peppers be sure to wear latex gloves and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! The capsaicin (the chemical in a pepper that makes it hot) can make your skin burn as well as your mouth and I cannot even imagine getting it in my eyes (best to beware of touching ANY sensitive parts).
  3. Sauté the shallots (and peppers if you are going that route) in a medium saucepan.
  4. Another warning about the peppers. Be careful about leaning over the pot while sauteing. The capsaicin can be vaporized with the water and get into your eyes as well. It wouldn't be quite as bad as getting it directly in, but it still would not be fun.
  5. Add the beer (I use something like a summer ale - light, fruity and not too strong of a flavor) and let cook for about five minutes.
  6. Add the ketchup, molasses, honey, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, spicy mustard, and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.
  7. Next, add all the dry ingredients and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. This is to let the dry spices heat up and release any stored-up oils into the sauce (it just tastes better when you do this).
recipe icon
Go To Recipe Page

Barbecue mop sauce

  1. Mix everything together in a bowl. Seriously, that's it. Don't think too much about it, just do it.
recipe icon
Go To Recipe Page

Ingredients

Slow Smoked Pork Loin Ribs
3 ½ lbs
pork loin ribs
¼ cup
dry rub
1 cup
mop sauce
1 cup
barbecue sauce
*optional
Dry rub
1 tbsp
smoked paprika
1 tbsp
granulated garlic
1 tbsp
black pepper
½ tbsp
ancho chili powder
½ tbsp
chipolte chili powder
1 tsp
corriander
*dried cilantro seeds
1 tsp
mustard powder
1 tsp
celery salt
2 tbsp
kosher salt
Barbecue sauce
2 cups
ketchup
1 med
shallot
½ cup
beer
¼ cup
molasses
¼ cup
honey
1 tbsp
dijon mustard
1 tbsp
hot whole grain mustard
1 tsp
cayenne pepper
1 tsp
ancho chili powder
1 tsp
chipolte chili powder
2 tsp
granulated garlic
1 tbsp
smoked paprika
1 tsp
smoked tumeric
1 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce
½ cup
apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp
avocado oil
½ tsp
kosher salt
½ tsp
black pepper
Mop Sauce
½ cup
barbecue sauce
*Use mine or your favorite from the store
½ cup
beer
½ cup
apple cider vinegar
Don't want to see the "Continue Reading" button? Sign Up Today!
Already a member? Sign In Here!