Kansas City Pork Spareribs

MAKE THE KANSAS CITY RIB RUB

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, paprika, kosher salt, lemon pepper seasoning & granulated garlic. Whisk together to combine.
2. Blot the spareribs dry with paper towels. Remove the silverskin, by using a sharp knife to pry up a corner, then gripping tightly with your fingers and pulling the silver skin from the ribs.
3. Rub the ribs liberally with the Kansas City Rib Rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

FOR SMOKER METHOD:

1. Combine the bourbon and apple cider and transfer to a spray bottle. A funnel is useful for this.
2. Soak the wood chips for about 1 hour in water.
3. Set up the smoker according to your manufacturers instructions and heat to about 225° - 250°. Place the ribs in the smoker on a rib rack or directly on the grate (bone side down).
4. Cook the ribs at this steady temperature for 4-5 hours or until they're cooked through adding 1 ½ cups of soaked wood chips to the smoker every hour for the first 3 hours.
5. Spray the ribs with the bourbon/cider mixture every hour after the first hour on the smoker to keep the meat moist. Watch for the ribs to retract from the bone by about ½" as an indicator that they're done.
6. During the last 10-15 minutes, brush the spareribs with BBQ sauce and let the sauce fuse to the ribs from the indirect heat.
7. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut them into 2-3 bone sections. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side

FOR INDIRECT CHARCOAL METHOD:

1. Combine the bourbon and apple cider and transfer to a spray bottle. A funnel is useful for this.
2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling with a drip pan in the center of the grill and coals on either side or around the perimeter. Preheat the grill to a medium heat, about 325°. When the coals are hot add 1 ½ cups of soaked wood chips.
3. Place the grill rack over the coals and drip pan and place the ribs on the grill bone side down, or if you have a rib rack, you can use that. Spray the ribs with the cider/bourbon mixture every 30 minutes after the first half hour. Replenish the wood chips after the 1st hour of smoking. Cook the ribs until they are tender about 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. When the meat starts to retract about ½" from the bone, they should be ready.
4. Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Remove the ribs to a cutting board and section them into 2-3 rib portions. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.

FOR GAS GRILL METHOD:

1. Combine the bourbon and apple cider and transfer to a spray bottle. A funnel is useful for this.
2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, by heating one side of the grill, but not the other to a medium heat, about 325°. Fill a smoker box with wood chips and place over the lit burner on the grill.
3. When the wood chips start to emit a white smoke, place the ribs (bone side down) on the opposite side of the grill (not over the active flame).
4. Spray the ribs every half an hour with the bourbon cider mixture to keep them moist. Cook the ribs for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours until the meat has pulled back from the bone by about half an inch and the ribs are very tender.
5. During the last 10-15 minutes of cooking brush the ribs with BBQ sauce to lacquer them.
6. To serve, cut the ribs into 2-3 rib portions and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.

FOR OVEN METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Fill the bottom of the broiler pan with apple cider and bourbon. Rest the broiler rack on top and place the ribs on the pan. Cover tightly with tin foil so that no steam can escape.
2. Cook the ribs for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat has shrunk back from the rib bones by about half an inch and the pork is very tender.
3. Remove the foil and brush the ribs with bbq sauce.
4. Turn the oven up to broil and place the ribs about 3-4 inches below the heating element. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the BBQ sauce is lacquered and bubbly. Flip the ribs, brush with more BBQ sauce and repeat in the broiler.
5. Cut the ribs into 2-3 bone segments and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.