Homemade BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

Are you smoking or grilling spare ribs or baby back ribs this weekend? Learn how to make homemade BBQ sauce for pork ribs!

This recipe works for either spare ribs or baby back ribs. After cooking these ribs, stand back and listen to the compliments. Food, glorious food.

Food is good, and it’s good for you; just think where you would be without it. Cooking can be almost as much fun as eating, especially when the cooking is done outdoors in a BBQ pit. One of America’s all-time favorite BBQ foods is pork ribs. This recipe will produce ribs that will rival any of a BBQ restaurant.

Try my Smoked Rib recipe! This recipe uses a different sauce as another option for you!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

This sweet, smoky sauce works well on ribs and other cuts of pork:

 2 cups ketchup
 1 cup molasses
 1/2 cup white vinegar
 1 tablespoon paprika
 1 tablespoon garlic powder
 1 teaspoon onion powder
 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon allspice
 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all of the above in a non-stick saucepan and simmer until all ingredients are dissolved. The product may be stored in a clean, plastic ketchup bottle in the refrigerator.

Dry Rub

While that is simmering, make this dry rub. It works well with pork ribs and shoulder, but might not be as good on beef:

 1/2 cup table salt
 1/2 cup white sugar
 1/4 cup brown sugar
 1 tablespoon garlic powder
 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
 3 tablespoons chili powder
 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
 1 tablespoon thyme
 1 tablespoon cumin
 1 tablespoon nutmeg

Combine all of the above and store in a plastic soda pop bottle with a lid.

Here’s another great recipe for rib rub to try! The best part about making your own rib rub is that you can get creative with the ingredients and try different spices.

Cooking BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

1. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees. Walnut, cherry, or other nut-bearing woods work well for pork, but other hardwoods may be used. While the smoker is warming, remove the paper-thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs. To do this, ‘scratch’ your fingernail against a rib bone till the membrane starts to peel off. When partially removed, grab the membrane with your fingers and pull off as much as you can. Place slabs on the cooking grate with the bones down. Close the lid and keep it closed. Monitor smoker temperature and add wood as needed. Every hour, rotate slabs. Move the slab from the hottest side of the smoker to the opposite side and slide all other slabs over a notch.
2. Total smoking time will be 4 hours. After three hours and 20 minutes, slather each slab with sauce (use a food-safe brush or knife) and sprinkle a liberal amount of rub. Repeat this 20 minutes later. Remember, whenever you open the smoker lid, some of the heat will escape. Be sure to monitor the smoker’s temperature carefully during this final hour.

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One Recipe for Two Types of Pork Ribs

There are differences between the baby’s back and spare ribs, but this recipe will work for either. After making this recipe a time or two, the diner’s tastes might dictate more or less sauce/rub, but avoid putting the sauce on the slabs until the final hour of cooking. The sugar in the sauce and rub can burn if applied earlier. Enjoy!

If you don’t have time to create your own homemade sauce or rib rub, you can always save time and purchase these to help!