Overview of How I do it
I prep and cut the spare ribs Saint Louis style, and then I used a variation of the Memphis shake from a show I saw on the food network, I believe it was a show called Diners and Dives. There is also a BBQ Sauce you can make. Then I slow cook them in the smoker. I do not rinse my meat when I am using a rub, because I like the sticky film on it to really pick up the rub. I picked this up from a professional chef; my wife would probably kill me if she knew I did it.
I set it in the refrigerator for an hour while I get the smoker going. A lot of people let them sit overnight in the refrigerator. The Saint Louis Cut is how you cut the ribs. I smoke the meat using hickory for 3 hours starting at a temp of 150 degrees and gradually raise it to 250 degrees. I place the ribs in a modified 8 quart roasting pan that fits in my smoker, add about ¾ of a cup of apple juice and let it roast for 2 more hours at 250 degrees. The last 1/2 to 1 hour I remove them from the roaster and place them back on 
the racks with no smoke . I use the 321 method of smoking and sometines cut a couple hours off time by using higher heat.
I love to cook all kinds of sides to go with it, but my favorite is grilling vegtables on the BBQ in iron skillets. First I cut my vegtables then sprinkle a
little olive oil on them, then I salt and pepper to taste or I use Badias Complete seasoning. When they are done just before I serve them I drizzle a little Catalina dressing over them and the veggies taste just wonderfull. Rib day at my house is a suck it to the bone experience for all in the familly. If you want some for the next day... Hide them.
Memphis Shake:
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
Whisk paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic, ancho powder, salt, and celery salt in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months. It makes about 3/4 cup (I like to double this.) Ancho powder is simply finely ground dried ancho chiles. Anchos are the sweetest of the dried chiles and are not terribly hot, so don't be put off by the amount used in this recipe. I also use regular chile powder if I can not find the ancho.
3-2-1 Rib Method Explained
The 3-2-1 method of smoking ribs when I want my ribs to be falling off the bone. This method will make your ribs more tender that you could ever imagine.
The 3-2-1 method starts out by preparing the ribs as normal. Removing the membrane, dusting with a rub or with just some salt and pepper if you prefer and then onto the smoker grate for about 3 hours. (It may not be this long depending on your smoker and temp, experience and a good eye will tell you when to move to the next step).
This first stage is the "3" in the equation and is over when you see the meat starting to pull back from the bone about a quarter inch. This normally requires about 3 hours or so if you are able to maintain 225 degrees in your smoker.
The second "2" stage of the process is removing the ribs from the smoker and wrapping them in heavy duty foil. Just before closing up the foil, splash on some apple juice (This is where I use my roaster to put the ribs in with the apple juice back into the smoker). Place the ribs back in the smoker wrapped in foil and let them cook for 2 hours. This is the "2" in the formula for the most tender ribs you ever tasted.
The "1" last and final stage in the process.. When the second stage is over, remove the foil and place the ribs back on the smoker grate unwrapped to firm them up a little before serving. Keep a close eye on the ribs at this point and remove them when they reach 172 degrees which should take about 45 minutes to an hour. Let the ribs sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Note: the 3-2-1 method is designed for spare ribs.. if you are looking to smoke baby back ribs then the process will be closer to 2-2-1.
Please click through the links on the page they will lead you to the original sites on the meat prep, the shake and the method of slow smoking. Please Check back soon for some Disney recipes coming soon. May God bless you grilling!
