Big Green Egg baby back ribs come out juicy and tender when you smoke them indirect at a steady 250°F with the convEGGtor in, wrap them for an hour, and finish with a quick glaze. Coat them in Brunk Black Blend BBQ Rub and the Egg's moist heat builds a dark, peppery-garlic bark in about 4½ hours.

Ingredients

  • 2 racks baby back ribs (about 2½ lb each)
  • 2 Tbsp yellow mustard (binder)
  • 3–4 Tbsp Brunk Black Blend BBQ Rub
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, plus 2 Tbsp for the wrap
  • 4 Tbsp butter, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • ½ cup apple juice in a spray bottle, plus ¼ cup for the wrap
  • 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 2–3 chunks of apple or cherry wood

Instructions

  1. Fill the Big Green Egg with lump charcoal and bury the wood chunks in it. Light it, set the convEGGtor legs-up with the grid on top, and stabilize at 250°F (allow 20–30 minutes).
  2. Pull the membrane off the back of each rack. Pat the ribs dry, coat them lightly with mustard, then season both sides generously with Black Blend and the ¼ cup of brown sugar. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Lay the ribs bone-side down on the grid, close the dome, and smoke for 2½ hours at 250°F. Spritz with apple juice every 45 minutes after the first hour, once the bark has set.
  4. Lay each rack meat-side down on a double sheet of heavy-duty foil. Top with the butter, honey, the 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and a splash of apple juice, then seal tightly. Return them to the Egg for 1 hour.
  5. Unwrap the ribs, brush them with BBQ sauce, and cook unwrapped for 30–45 minutes, until the sauce sets and turns tacky.
  6. They're done when a probe slides between the bones like butter (around 195–203°F) and the rack bends and cracks on the surface when lifted with tongs. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones.

Brunk tip

Keep your Egg's vents steady and resist lifting the dome, because every peek costs heat and moisture. For an extra-crusty bark, dust the ribs with one more light layer of Black Blend right after you unwrap them, before the sauce goes on. The peppery-garlic punch plays perfectly against a sweet glaze.