Grilled Country Style Ribs

1. Rub the ribs with the spice blend using your hands, pressing to adhere. Cover ribs with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for minimum 1 hour, best overnight.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and honey if using instead of BBQ sauce or use both. Set aside.

Low and Slow Smoking (about 5 hours)

1. Take ribs from refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat smoker to 225°F. I use Traeger Grills Signature Blend Maple/Cherry Hardwood pellets.
3. Place the ribs on clean and oiled grill grates with the larger, flatter side down.
4. Cover the grill and cook until browned and crusty about 90 minutes (brush with the lemon honey sauce every 30 minutes). Flip ribs, cover, and cook until browned and crusty on the other side, about 90 minutes more (basting every 30 minutes with the lemon honey sauce).
5. Turn once more, baste with lemon honey sauce, or BBQ sauce of choice if using, and cook another 60 minutes. Turn and baste again, cooking remaining 60 minutes. You can expect these ribs to take approximately 5 hours to fully cook. As always, make sure you go by internal temperature and not by time. It's important you have a reliable meat thermometer to check the ribs's temperature!
6. Thermometer should register 195°F when inserted into the thickest part of meat. Transfer to serving platter, tent with foil, and let rest about 10 minutes before serving with additional BBQ sauce if using.

Gas Grill (about 45-60 minutes)

1. Take ribs from refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to Medium heat of 350-400°F.
3. Place the ribs on clean and oiled grill with the larger, flatter side down.
4. Place the ribs over DIRECT heat on a clean and oiled grate. Close lid and grill until browned and crusty and you get a slight char on them, about 5-6 minutes. Flip ribs, cover, and cook until browned and crusty on the other side, about 5-6 minutes more.
5. Rotate the ribs slightly to create hashmarks, baste with lemon honey sauce, or BBQ sauce of choice if using, cover, and cook with INDIRECT heat until glazed and crusty, about 15 minutes. Flip to the other side, baste with lemon honey sauce, or BBQ sauce of choice if using, cover, and cook until glazed and crusty, another 15 minutes.
6. As always, make sure you go by internal temperature and not by time. It's important you have a reliable meat thermometer to check the ribs's temperature!
7. Thermometer should register 195°F when inserted into the thickest part of meat. Transfer to serving platter, tent with foil, and let rest about 10 minutes before serving with any remaining lemon honey sauce or additional BBQ sauce if using.

Charcoal Grill (about 45-60 minutes)

1. Same as Gas Grill Instructions above. For indirect heat, coals moved to one side and meat grilled on top on other side of grill.

Baked in Oven (2.5 hours)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Place ribs on a wire rack in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. Turn ribs and baste with BBQ sauce (if using, no mop sauce needed for Baked version), continue to bake for 30 minutes uncovered.
3. Thermometer should register 195°F when inserted into the thickest part of meat. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let rest about 10 minutes before serving with additional BBQ sauce.