Backyard Ribs Recipe

Equipment You’ll Need

• Smoker (set to 225°F)
• Spray bottle
• Aluminum foil
• Sharp knife
• Tongs
• Grill brush
• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork ribs (either side ribs with spares removed or back ribs)
• 4 tbsp yellow mustard
• ¼ cup Motley Que Habanero Fixx Rub
• ¼ cup Big Poppa Smoker’s Money Rub
• ¼ cup apple juice (for spritzing and wrapping)
• ¼ cup margarine
• ½ bottle Motley Que Sticky Fixx BBQ Sauce

Instructions

1. Prep the Smoker

• Set your smoker to 225°F.

2. Prepare the Ribs

• Remove the membrane from the back of each rack using a paper towel.
• Pat dry with paper towel.
• Coat both sides with mustard—this helps the seasoning stick.
• Season generously with Money Rub and Habanero Fixx on both sides.
• Let the ribs rest meat side up for 20 minutes—they’ll begin to look moist as the rub starts working into the meat.

3. Smoke the Ribs

• Place ribs bone side down on the smoker grates.
• Leave space between racks for airflow and even smoking.
• Close the lid and don’t touch for 90 minutes—trust the process.
• After 90 minutes, spritz the ribs with apple juice using a spray bottle.
• Repeat the spritz every 30 minutes, just enough to keep the ribs moist without washing off the rub.

4. Wrap the Ribs

• After 3 hours, remove the ribs from the smoker.
• On a large piece of foil (about 1.5x the length of the ribs), add:
  • ⅛ cup margarine
  • A splash of apple juice
  • A light sprinkle of Habanero Fixx Rub
• Place the ribs meat side down onto the foil.
• Add more Habanero Fixx (or Motley Que Triple H if preferred) to the bone side.
• Wrap tightly in foil. Then wrap again with a second sheet to prevent punctures.
• Repeat for the second rack.

5. Tenderize

• Return the foil-wrapped ribs to the smoker meat side down at 225°F.
• Cook for another 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, carefully open one packet (watch for steam) and check tenderness:
  • Lift the rack from the middle—if the meat starts to pull away from the bones, they’re done.
  • If they feel firm, close it back up and cook for another 30 minutes.

6. Glaze & Finish

• Once tender, remove ribs from foil and place on a tray.
• Brush the meat side with Motley Que Sticky Fixx BBQ Sauce.
• Return ribs to the smoker unwrapped, meat side up.
• Let the sauce set for 30 minutes, checking often to avoid burning.
• Once the glaze is tacky and caramelized (but not burnt), remove from smoker.

7. Serve

• Slice the ribs between the bones and serve them hot.
• Optional: Brush on more sauce before slicing for extra shine and stickiness.

Quick Recap

• Set smoker to 225°F
• Prep ribs: remove membrane, mustard + rub, rest 20 min
• Smoke 3 hrs, spritz every 30 min after 90 min
• Wrap with butter, juice, rub—smoke 2 hrs more
• Glaze with Sticky Fixx, smoke 30 min unwrapped
• Slice and serve!

Helpful Tips and Notes

• Don’t peek too early—the smoke needs time to work.
• Keep the spritz light—just enough to keep the ribs from drying out.
• Want a spicier finish? Add a few dashes of hot sauce to the glaze.