Looking for a dead-simple rib recipe with reliably great results? In this video, Matt Pittman of Meat Church Barbecue shows you his take on Memphis style ribs in a straightforward no-fuss recipe for Texas Sugar Dry Rub Ribs, showcasing his Texas Sugar seasoning.
This one is going to be hard to mess up!
To let the rub shine, this recipe forgoes any sauce, relying only on a few spritzes of apple cider vinegar to add moisture. Fire up your grill, grab some Texas Sugar or whatever rub you like best, and cook up some Memphis style dry rub ribs your guests will come back for.
Credits: The screenshots in this post were taken from the video above by Matt Pittman. We've outlined the video in writing so you can follow along with ease.
Get the Supplies for Texas Sugar Dry Rub Ribs
All the tools for this recipe (or similar options) are available from our specialty barbecue supply store. To get what you need, you can visit our website using the links below.
Ingredients for Texas Sugar Dry Rub Ribs
- 1 rack St. Louis cut pork spare ribs, trimmed (sub full spares or baby backs)
- 2 tablespoons Meat Church Texas Sugar
Steps for Texas Sugar Dry Rub Ribs
Using the right ingredients and tools is essential to make a recipe turn out exactly as it should. Follow the steps below to get Texas Sugar Ribs like the ones Matt is munching in the featured video.
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Step 1: Trim the Ribs
Trimming is mainly a matter of personal taste, but in this video Matt is going for a tidy square for great presentation and even cooking. After peeling the membrane off the bone side, cut the ends square. Remove any loose flaps, thin edges, or significant areas of fat.
Trimming is easiest if you have a sharp knife and do it when the meat's fresh from the refrigerator, before the fat warms up.
Step 2: Season the Meat
The Meat Church Texas Sugar seasoning is the star of the show here, so load it on for full coverage. This seasoning isn't overly salty, so a heavy layer shouldn't throw off your flavor.
Apply your seasoning within an hour of when you cook. You can use a binder like mustard, but it's not essential.
Leave the seasoning in place on one side of the meat for fifteen or twenty minutes, then flip the meat and apply seasoning generously to the other side. Let it sit for another half hour or so to sweat and stick to the meat before it goes on the smoker.
Step 3: The Cook
Once the rub has had time to fully soak and stick to the meat, it's time to drop it on the smoker. As a Texas-style rib, this will be cooked at 250 degrees F without any wrap to an internal temp of around 200 degrees F.
While you could use any smoker for this, Matt's using a pellet smoker, which allows an unmatched set-and-forget convenience that appeals to busy pitmasters. If you're in the market for a pellet grill yourself, check out our lineup of pellet grills from Green Mountain Grills and Yoder Smokers.
Spritz the meat with apple cider vinegar a couple of times throughout the cook to add moisture.
Step 4: Remove and Eat Your Texas Sugar Ribs
That's right, you're done when the ribs are. Matt likes a bite-off rib, but if you prefer the meat falling off the bone, just leave them on a little longer.
To tell when your ribs are done, watch how the bones start to protrude from the meat. When the meat shrinks so you can see 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch of bone sticking out, you know you're about there. Press the meat to test the tenderness and use an instant read thermometer to confirm the temp is in the 200 F range.
When you like the doneness, put on some gloves, pull the ribs off the grill, slice them apart, serve and devour!
Get your DIY insulated barbecue gloves here (nitrile outer shell) and here (cotton knit liner).
To upgrade your temperature game, grab a boss instant-read thermometer off our online store, or stop by in person for even more great options we can't sell online.
Step 5: Enjoy the Pitmaster Cred
We're not saying that when word gets around about your Texas Sugar Dry Rub Ribs, you'll start getting random connections from friends you forgot you had. But we're not saying it won't happen, either.
Once you've cleaned up after your rib feast, don't forget to drop by our online store for all the supplies you need and much, much more. Better yet, visit our brick-and-mortar specialty barbecue store at 140 W Main Street in New Holland, Pennsylvania to explore an epic collection of the best products help you produce delicious food outdoors. Check the bottom of the page for store hours.
