The Ultimate in Pork Ribs: Bacon Ribs
A few weeks ago, we smoked up some amazing Pork Belly Ribs. This time, we took it a step further and made Bacon Ribs! More work and time, but well worth it!
Things to know:
What are Bacon Ribs?
Bacon ribs are pork belly ribs—ribs with the pork belly still attached—cured, smoked, and cooked to taste like thick-cut bacon. They are typically brined for 2–7 days with salt, sugar, and curing salt, then smoked low and slow (around 200 – 275F) until tender, offering a rich, smoky, and sweet flavor profile.
What’s the difference between pork and bacon ribs?
Meatier than the Back Rib, Spareribs – also known as side ribs – are thick, juicy, and come from the belly section of the pig (where bacon comes from). They usually come with the sternum, costal cartilage and flap still attached. From the Sparerib you can get St. Louis style or Louisiana style ribs.
Do you need to soak bacon ribs?
A few tricks to help the ribs been tastier are to soak the bacon rib in water for 30 minutes prior cooking to help remove extra saltiness of the ribs. To remove the lining under the ribs, wait until they are boiled, it will be very easy then by just scraping with the back of a small knife or spoon.
Who owns Yoder Smokers?
Yoder Smokers is owned and founded by Don Cary. Based in Hutchinson, Kansas, the company manufactures high-end, competition-level barbecue pits and pellet grills. The brand is known for its heavy-duty, American-made products, often sold through All Things Barbecue.
Are Yoder Smokers worth the money?
Yes, Yoder smokers—particularly the YS640s—are considered worth the money for pit masters looking for a “Buy It For Life” (BIFL) product. They are praised for heavy-duty, American-made steel construction, superior heat retention, and the ability to both low-smoke and high-sear (up to 600F), often eliminating the need for a separate gas grill.
Ingredients
For the brine: (for the amounts, go here and enter the weight and thickness of your pork belly ribs)
warm distilled water (we wisely substituted whisky)
Prague powder #1 (you can get this from Amazon)
Pork Belly Ribs (you will have to find a butcher who does specialty cuts)
Your favorite pork rub (We used R Butts R Smokin’ Cherry Habanero Rub)
3 sticks of Butter
10 oz of Apple Juice
10 oz of Whiskey (We used Wild Turkey American Honey)
Your favorite BBQ Sauce (We used Kinder’s Black Cherry and Chipotle BBQ Sauce)
1. 4-6 days before you smoke them (the calculator linked above will tell you how long the ribs need to be in the brine), cut the pork belly ribs into individual ribs.
2. Mix the brine ingredients together and pack into large Ziplock bags with your ribs, then chuck them into your refrigerator.
3. The day before you smoke the ribs, drain the brine from the bags and remove the ribs. Place the ribs in a new large Ziplock bag and add enough water to cover the ribs. Place them back in the refrigerator for at least an hour. After an hour, repeat this step.
4. Remove the ribs from the Ziplock bags and place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place back into your refrigerator until the following day.
5. On the day of the cook: Set your smoker to 250F.
6. Apply a coating of your favorite rub.
7. Place the ribs on the smoker and smoker for 3 to 4 hours.
8. Remove the ribs from the smoker and place in a disposable aluminum pan that has 2 sticks of cut-up butter in it, then pour on the apple juice and whisky. Top the ribs with another stick of cut up butter. Wrap the pan tightly with foil then place back on the smoker for another 1 to 1.5 hours.
9. Remove the pan from the smoker, then add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, mix well, then cover again and return to the smoker for an hour.
10. Bring the ribs inside and let rest for an hour, then serve. Enjoy!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
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