Smoking Ribs and Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce

My husband has 2 favorite things: Ribs and Dr. Pepper!

One of his friends actually does competitive BBQ cooking events. After talking with his friend and getting some ideas on smoking techniques. My husband has the BBQ bug! Today, my husband is attempting to smoke his first racks of ribs.

Here he is applying the rub to the ribs. We created our own rub recipe, adding a little bit of this and that to the mixture. Granulated garlic, black pepper, salt, paprika, crushed red pepper, dehydrated minced onions, and sugar. I would also recommend either cinnamon or 5 spice powdered added to the rub mixture. Mix it to your taste preferences.



We picked up some Jack Daniel's smoking chips. The chips are made from the charred white oak barrels the company uses to age its whiskey. Some of the whiskey makes its way into the wood during the aging process and stays there when the barrel is emptied. This should help give the ribs a nice flavor. They are relatively inexpensive. We picked up a bag at our local Academy Sporting Goods store for about $5. Soak the chips over night in water. This will help create smoke when on the grill

BBQ is an art form that requires patience. The ribs are on the grill and will stay there for 6 hours! You want the temperature around 200. Low and slow makes the best!




The sauce recipe we are using is a cola bbq sauce. There are a lot of different recipes, just find one that you like. Use it as a basic guide and add a little extra seasoning to make more your taste.

Since my husband is a fan of Dr. Pepper, this is recipe we selected.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Dr. Pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dry minced onion
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender or stir for about 2 minutes. Store sauce in a tightly sealed container. Refrigerate (will keep for several weeks refrigerated). Shake well before using. Use as a basting sauce while grilling.

We basted the ribs every 20 minutes for the last 2 hours of cooking. And here is the finished product!


The ribs had a nice pink smoke ring and really great tasting bark! I think the BBQ bug's bite is strong. My husband is already thinking of what he can do for the next time.