Smoked BBQ Ribs for Spring, Summer and Fall

Mix together paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper and cayenne. Set aside.

Open the vacuum-packed racks of ribs and rinse them thoroughly. To develop the proper flavor and texture of the finished product, it is extremely important to remove the membrane. To do so, run a flexible knife under the membrane along one of the middle bones. Twist the dull side of the knife upward to begin to further separate the membrane from the bone. Do so until you can get a finger or two under the membrane. Remove the knife and carefully pull upward. The membrane should cleanly separate from the rack. If you need to, in order for the ribs to fit, cut the rack into two by slicing between the two bones in the middle.

Generously apply the dry rub and pat until the ribs are thoroughly covered. (You will not use all of the rub from the recipe above. You can store leftover rub in a sealed container in your pantry for your next smoking session.) Arrange the ribs in a rack, if you have one to stand them up in order to conserve space on the smoker or grill. You can also use a gas grill with a smoker box, or a charcoal grill set up for indirect cooking.

Aim to keep your temperature as close to 225F as possible. The nice thing about a water smoker is that boiling water will stay at 212 degrees, so you get a pretty even, reliable heat.

When the unit is ready, place your ribs on, close the lid, and wait. Check the ribs after about 3 hours. At that point, they will probably need another 30 minutes to an hour.

You will know they are done when the meat shrinks up around the bone by half an inch or so. Now you can either eat them (naked), apply some more rub and serve (like some famous Memphis rib joints), refrigerate or freeze them for later (maybe for winter when you are longing for the hot summer days), or finish them with a sauce on the grill (Kansas City style). To sauce, set your gas grill to medium high, baste the ribs with a little barbecue sauce and grill them until the sauce starts to caramelize on the meat, being careful not to burn the sauce as it is mostly sugar.