Many like the taste of two extremes of the taste buds being combined, but for others it just ruins the ribs. In this bacon smoked ribs recipe, we get to combine one pork product with another similar pork product and so the two tastes tend to compliment one another pretty well without going over the top. And, let's face the facts here: it's bacon. You cannot go wrong with bacon anything. You could make bacon scented trash bags and people would buy them. (All you aspiring inventors out there can take that idea for free, just pay shipping and handling).
For this smoked ribs recipe, you will need a couple pounds of good quality thick sliced bacon, along with two or three racks of pork spare ribs. For the ribs you can use your choice of traditional St. Louis style or baby back ribs if you prefer. If you do decide to use baby back ribs, just make sure that you decrease the smoking and cooking time to accommodate the smaller cut of rib. Remember to buy fresh, quality cuts of ribs. Look for well trimmed slabs and that will save you a lot of time. Avoid the vacuum packed versions because those are usually much older and have preservatives in them. I find that my local grocer is the best source for ribs.
Once you have removed the membranes, turn the racks of ribs bottom side up so that you can see the bones clearly. Cut each rib off of the rack so that you have individual ribs. Try to leave an even amount of mean to the left and right side of each rib bone so that they won't fall apart while smoking.
Do not coat the spare ribs with mustard. Sprinkle your normal rib rub onto the ribs prior to attaching the bacon. Here you can find some good tips on coming up with your own rib rub recipe.
Now comes the tricky part. Wrap a piece or two of thick bacon around each rib and secure with cooking string or toothpicks. Think of wrapping ribbon around a flag pole. Secure each rib at the ends if possible because you don't want toothpics or string being gnawed off with the ribs. It may take more than one piece of bacon, depending on the size of the bacon strips and the size of your ribs. If you do have to use more than one piece of bacon, then mark that rib with a toothpick on the end so you remember to remove it after the smoking process.
Now you can smoke the ribs normally. Start with charcoal to get your fire going. Add wood whenever the charcoal turns gray. Place the ribs as far from the heat as possible. You can look at the many other rib smoking recipes on this site for tips on this. After smoking the ribs for several hours (4 to 5), remove from the smoker and place on a cookie sheet. Cover tightly with foil and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the smoke to cure into the meat and to allow the bacon to set up around the rib.
Now slow cook in the oven at 250 for 3 more hours. Leave the foil on the cookie sheet. It's a tedious process guys but it's a great tasting rib. Enjoy.
