Let’s be honest: not all viral trend recipes on Instagram or Tik Tok are worth it. But this recipe for smoked party ribs? THIS is worth it. If you haven’t seen the viral trend recipe called party ribs, I’m here to introduce you to the dish and show you the best way to make these freakin’ delicious pork ribs. They’re like smoked pork belly burnt ends but with individual baby back ribs instead.
Post sponsored by Pendleton Whisky.
This smoked party ribs recipe is also our first collaboration with Pendleton Whisky. Pendleton is all about living life to the fullest: seeking out wild adventures, sharing a meal or drink with friends and making core memories. It’s simply great as is, so no wonder it’s the whisky of choice for cowboys, cowgirls and anyone who celebrates the American West. These smoked party ribs are a great way to share that spirit with family and friends while enjoying some amazing whisky!
Why You’ll Love Smoked Party Ribs
Burnt ends are some of the tastiest morsels in BBQ, and applying those flavors to individual ribs makes it even more of a party. Ribs are such a great food for sharing, so this recipe for smoked party ribs makes it possible to invite over your buddies and family members so the whole crew can dig in. Or just save a whole rack of delicious ribs for yourself. I don’t judge.
For more BBQ pork recipes, check out the recipes for Smoked Pork Burnt Ends, Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and Smoked Ribs with Bourbon Mop Sauce.
Smoked Party Ribs Ingredients
- Ribs: We’ll take two racks of baby back ribs, then slather them in yellow mustard and season them generously with your favorite BBQ dry rub.
- Crutch: This recipe uses what’s called a “crutch,” a smoking technique where we put the partially cooked baby back ribs in a foil pan and cover the bin with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Using a crutch for the ribs concentrates the heat, speeds up the cooking and reduces evaporation. Pendleton serves as the liquid in our crutch here, which also has unsalted butter, your favorite BBQ sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup and hot sauce. It’s about the best thing you can do to get juicy ribs.
Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread
In my mind, no BBQ is complete without cornbread, and adding jalapenos and cheddar takes cornbread to the next level.
Preheat your oven or smoker to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, lightly oil a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to heat up. Mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together two eggs, 1.5 cups milk and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, add 1/4 of melted butter, stir, and then 1 minced and seeded jalapeno, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and 2 chopped scallions.
Mix the ingredients until just combined. Take your pan out of the oven, pour in the mixture and bake for about 1 hour (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
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How to Make Smoked Party Ribs
Ready to be a viral sensation? I’m stoked. Let’s show Tik Tok what the best ribs look like.
Preparing and Seasoning
Our first step is to remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. On a sturdy cutting board, cut each rack of ribs into individual ribs, then slather these baby back ribs in 1/4 cup yellow mustard. Season generously with your favorite BBQ rib rub and set aside.
Smoking on the Fire
Next, preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F for indirect heat cooking. Add wood chips or wood chunks if you want extra smoky flavor. Add the pork ribs to cook indirectly until they reach 165 degrees internal temperature (about 1.5 hours).
Cooking in the Crutch
Once the pork ribs hit temperature, add them to the foil pan with 2 ounces Pendleton Whisky, 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 2.5 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Cover the pan with heavy duty foil and place back in the smoker for one more hour.
Finishing and Serving
After the party ribs have been in the crutch for an hour, uncover and let them cook for another 20-30 minutes to caramelize.
I usually leave the ribs for 30 minutes, so once they look good, take them off the smoker and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before your crew digs in. Next step and last step: serve these smoked party ribs and enjoy!
What to Serve With Smoked Party Ribs
When it comes to smoked party ribs, go with classic BBQ sides. The jalapeno-cheddar cornbread will make your BBQ spread next level. You can also add a simple coleslaw or broccoli slaw as your vegetable side.
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftovers of these bone tender ribs, wrap them in foil or an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. A low, slow oven is the best way to reheat these juicy ribs so they don’t dry out. Place your leftover ribs on a baking sheet, cover tightly with heavy duty foil and reheat at 200-205 degrees.
For More Ribs
FAQs
Baby back ribs are incredibly popular, and for good reason. They usually have more meat on the top of the ribs than on the sides of the ribs. That’s why they work well in this smoked party ribs recipe.
The bones are more curved and they come from the upper part of the pig’s back. St. Louis style ribs and spare ribs are actually two names for the same cut. They have more meat between the bones and fat between the ribs and come from the belly of the pig. The meat on St. Louis style ribs isn’t always as tender as baby back ribs, but the flavor is awesome.
Anything with brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika is so freakin’ delicious. You can also make your own for these smoked party ribs or check out my rubs and blends on Spiceology!
Anywhere your spirit feels wild and free. Or a rodeo. OK, but seriously, Pendleton is easy to track down at your local liquor store! Check out the company’s store locator to find your favorite flavor near you.
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Smoked Party Ribs
Ingredients
Ribs:
- 2 Racks of Ribs
- 1 cup Favorite BBQ Rub
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
Crutch:
- 2 oz Pendleton Whisky
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2.5 tbsp Favorite BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Begin by removing the membrane on the back of the pork ribs.
- Cut the ribs into singles then slather in yellow mustard. Season generously with your favorite bbq rub and set to the side.
- Preheat your smoke for 250F cooking indirectly. Add wood chips or wood chunks if you desire.
- Add the ribs to cook indirectly until 165F internal (about 1.5 hours).
- Once they hit temperature, add to a foil bin with your Pendleton Whisky and all the ingredients for the crutch.
- Cover in foil and place back on the smoker for one more hour.
- After your hour, uncover the ribs and let cook for another 30 minutes to caramelize. Once good, pull off and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
