Purchase the ribs from a butcher for best quality. The night before, prep the ribs by removing the thin membrane off the back side of the ribs. Tip: use a blunt knife or your finger to pull up the membrane and trim any excess fat.

Lightly coat the ribs with a mixture of olive oil, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and apple juice on both sides. Use about 2 tbs. of seasoning per pound of meat. Lightly massage into the meat on both sides and refrigerate overnight.

For the mop, combine all the wet ingredients and seasonings in a small bowl or in a spray bottle. Mix in a tablespoon of the prepared mustard coating and set aside. [Tip: use cherry cola instead of apple juice]

Prep to smoke: place wood chips that have been soaking in water into a smoking tray or use a small aluminum pan and cover with foil. Poke holes in the top.

Charcoal grilling: move the gray coals to one side leaving an area (no coals) to grill. Place the pan of wood chips near the coals, add a small pan of water and place the cooking grate into position. Add a few dry wood chips to the coals; close the lid and open the vents.

Gas grill: use two burners and heat until hot. [One in between is off] Place the wood chip pan on one of the heated grates. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and clean the grates and coat with cooking oil.

The ideal grilling temperature is 200-240º F - on the grill area where the ribs will be cooked. Use an oven / cooking thermometer to check, since grill gauges are not that accurate.

Place the ribs bone-side down on the grill grate, not over any direct heat. Cover with the lid and cook slowly and avoid opening. Every 15 min add chips to the coals and mop the ribs.

At the 2 hour mark, check the ribs to see if they’re near done (rib tips will start to protrude). A meat thermometer will read 160˚. Or, using a toothpick, probe the meat for tenderness.

Tip 1: For the last 30 minutes if ribs appear to be dry, mop them and then wrap in foil with the sealed side up.
Tip 2: When the ribs are near done, add the BBQ sauce to the top and heat for 10 minutes on a gas grill or in an oven.
[Or as the Pit-Master BBQ teams do, use the sauce just for dipping]
Tip 3: If the outdoor smoke grilling process time is limited (weather), complete the cooking in the oven with the meat mopped and wrapped in foil.

Final Tip: The key to great ribs is balance. There’s a balance in your seasoning, moisture, and smoke. Again, think slow and low. A good rack of ribs when properly cooked will take 2-4 hours depending on style of ribs, thickness and grill temperature.

And, when done, your plate should look like this...