Texas style smoked spare ribs are an absolute must for anyone who enjoys BBQ! All you need for this Texas style ribs recipe is smoke, salt, and pepper. In this recipe, I’ll walk you through the of making the best pork ribs!

Ingredients for Texas Style Ribs

• Kosher salt
• Coarse black pepper
• Optional: 50/50 mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar

I list the apple juice and apple cider vinegar mixture for the spritz while the ribs are cooking. This is to keep them from drying out. Note that you can put a water pan in the main chamber of the grill instead. However, I like to have a wet mixture with a little flavor applied directly to the meat.

Watch the Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWbvQJvoUU

Difference Between Pork Spare Ribs and St. Louis Style Ribs

What’s the difference between pork spare ribs and St. Louis style ribs? Simple answer: it’s all in how it’s cut. St. Louis style ribs are a trimmed down version of spare ribs cut into a long, rectangular shape. I have a great recipe for saucy St. Louis ribs here.

Pork spare ribs are longer and have extra meat, as well as extra cartilage, on their racks. The extra meat extends off the rack of ribs between two to five inches in length. We’ll go into the process of cooking them this way.

Preheat the Grill

Since this recipe has a short prep time, preheat the grill first. We will cook these at 250 degrees over indirect heat. Depending on the grill, this could take anywhere between 15-30 minutes.

Regarding smoking wood, fruit woods such as cherry, peach, and apple go great with this recipe. Hard woods like oak, maple, and hickory are very good, too. For this recipe, I am doing a blend of maple, cherry, and oak.

Preparing the Ribs

Prepare the ribs by removing from the vacuum sealed package and patting dry any excess liquid. Flip over to back side (bone side up) and use a knife to remove the extra flap of meat covering the bones. This will likely overcook during the process.

Also, the smaller end of the ribs won’t have any bones (maybe one or two really small ones). Cut this section off closest to the last bone.

But don’t discard these excess portions of meat. You can cook them alongside the ribs and these small portions will finish sooner. Thus, making a perfect snack for the pitmaster during the cook.

Salt and Pepper for Dry Rub Ribs

Season the ribs by mixing equal parts kosher salt and coarse black pepper. I recommend one fourth cup of each. Mix these together to make the dry rub.

Apply the dry rub on the ribs on both the front and back sides. Doing this will help the flavor of the salt and pepper ribs stand out.

Smoking Texas Style Ribs

Place ribs on grill at 250 degrees over indirect heat and smoke for five hours. Spritz ribs once an hour with a 50/50 mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. To make a spritz for ribs, pour one fourth cup of both apple juice and apple cider vinegar into your spray bottle and briefly shake to mix.

Cooking ribs is pretty simple process, actually. For true Texas style ribs, smoke with oak wood. But ultimately, use your favorite smoking wood for ribs because you are the one eating them.

How to Tell When Smoked Spare Ribs are Done

The way I prefer to tell when ribs are done cooking is by using a digital food thermometer. Place the tip of the probe into the meat in between the bones.

Since I prefer a clean bite through, the internal meat temp to look for is between 180 to 195 degrees. For fall off the bone ribs, look for an internal temperature between 196 to 210 degrees.

Another method people use to tell if ribs are done is to pick up the rack from the center and see how they bend. If they flap like a bird, without breaking in half, then they are done.

The last method, which is the oldest and most basic, is if the bones are showing. Meat will retract as it cooks and when the bones show, the expectation is the ribs are done.

With that said, using a digital meat thermometer will ensure you don’t overcook them.

How to Slice Pork Ribs

The easiest way to slice ribs is to place the rack bone side up. Rib racks are usually angled and it takes lots of practice to get an accurate cut meat side up. Seeing the direction of the bones helps you get the straightest, most symmetrical cut ribs.

Wrap or No Wrap?

You can speed up the cooking process by wrapping the rack of ribs in aluminum foil and placing back on the grill for another two hours. This will shave an hour off of cooking. Keep in mind you may not get as much smoke flavor this way.

Can I Cook Pork Ribs in the Oven?

This recipe is adaptable so you can cook pork ribs in the oven. Use the same cooking time and amount of seasoning. No need to spritz oven ribs as there is no drying out due to airflow like there is on a smoker.

Side Dishes That Go Best with Ribs

Smoked Mac and Cheese

Grilled Elotes (Mexican Street Corn)

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

Do you love chili dogs? If you’re like most people, then yes! This hot dog chili recipe is surprisingly easy to make! It has the perfect balance of savory, heat, and a little sweet. Let me walk you through the process.

What is the Difference Between Hot Dog Chili and Regular Chili?

Hot dog chili is different from traditional chili in that most traditional chilis are soupy in texture and contain beans. It is mostly ground beef in a little bit of thickened sauce and has a touch of sweet to it. It helps balance the savory of the chili and the hot dog itself.

The Ingredients

• Ground beef
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Chili Powder
• Ground cumin
• Tomato Sauce
• Ketchup

And don’t forget the hot dogs, buns, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced onion.

Hot Dog Chili Recipe Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQhz1Wmb1vU&t=85s

Ground Beef and Seasonings

To make this hot dog chili recipe, place a pound (16 oz.) of ground beef in a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Season with two teaspoons of salt, two tsp pepper, one tsp garlic powder, and one tsp onion powder. Cook for 10 minutes or until browned. Drain grease by either pouring into a colander or use a few paper towels and absorb grease from the pan.

Ground beef with an 80/20 blend is perfect for this recipe. It has a decent amount of fat, which provides more flavor. With that said, other blends with less fat will work for this recipe too.

Sauce and Simmer

With ground beef cooked and grease drained, add six ounces of tomato sauce and six ounces of ketchup. I like ketchup in this recipe because it adds some sweetness to it. Next, add one teaspoon of chili powder and a half teaspoon of cumin. Stir all of the ingredients in the skillet until well mixed.

Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to let the ingredients cook together, but also for the sauce to thicken. Once done, remove from the heat and serve!

What to Serve with Hot Dog Chili

You might not be surprised to hear this, but serve hot dogs with your hot dog chili. Because that’s what it’s made for! But this recipe is also great for chili cheese burgers and chili cheese fries, too. Try this chili on my Five Guys copycat fries recipe!

Wanna make this chili dog even better? Use Hawaiian rolls for a bun! Simply slice three connected Hawaiian rolls in half, about 3/4 of the way. Butter the insides and place face down on the griddle until toasted to your liking.

How Long Can It Be Stored?

This dish can be stored in a container and chilled in the refrigerator for up to four days. Make extra chili for topping burgers and fries. Or more hot dogs.

Similar Recipes to Try

Crack Burgers

Smoked Tri Tip Sandwich

Steak and Chimichurri Sandwich

Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders

Garlic Bacon Burgers

Elevate your burger game with the flavors of BBQ burger sauce! This burger sauce is made of condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, and BBQ sauce. It’s the perfect compliment to your burger and is great on sandwiches. It is also the perfect dipping sauce for your fries!

Burger Sauce Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed to make the best burger sauce:

• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• BBQ sauce
• Relish
• Worcestershire sauce

How to Make It

Making this special sauce is super simple. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, and one cup of mayonnaise. Next, add in two tablespoons of relish. I like to use sweet relish, but a dill relish works well in this, too. And finally, add a 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce for a more savory balance.

You will find that burger sauce is an upgraded version of traditional fry sauce, which uses one part ketchup and two parts mayo. Adding the extra ingredients to this sauce gives your burger or sandwich an enhanced flavor profile.

How Long is This Sauce Good For?

Since all of the ingredients in this sauce are usually stored in the refrigerator (after being opened), burger sauce can be good for up to a month. That is, when properly stored in a container in the fridge.

Which Type of BBQ Sauce Should I Use?

The type of BBQ sauce to use depends on the flavor profile you prefer. I use a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce for mine. If you want less sugar and more heat, use a spicier hot sauce such as Patriot Sauce – the spicy version.

How Common is This Type of Sauce for Burgers?

Burger sauce is actually more common than you think. Most restaurants use it in some variation. For example, the Big Mac has a special sauce just like it. As well as In-N-Out spread, which is used on all of their burgers.

Side note: if you want In-N-Out spread for your fries, you can ask at the counter and they will gladly give you as many packets as you wish. I do this every time!

Other Sauces and Toppings to Try

Chimichurri Sauce

Caramelized Onions

Bacon Jam

Tangy Cilantro Lime Crema

Smoked Queso Dip

The Recipe!