My best spares to date ...

[UWFSAE]

I decided to try something a bit different this weekend so I abandoned the 3-2-1 method and did a salt/sugar brine with a rack of St. Louis Spares and used a cayenne-heavy rub and no mop or sauce. 

5.5 hours in the #3 at 225 with 2 oz. of hickory and 3 oz. of cherry, left the door shut the entire time.

The rub was as follows for a this attempt:

1/4 Cup dark brown sugar
1/4 Cup demara sugar
1/4 Cup smoked paprika
1/4 Cup cayenne pepper
2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dry mustard

I like the heat in the bark ... I may actually amp the heat up even further on the next attempt.

 

[shomesmoke]

How long did you brine your ribs and could you tell any difference from plain ribs?

 

[UWFSAE]

I did an overnight brine ... the salt was noticeable but no sugar.  I think next time I may add some black pepper and garlic paste to the marinade to see if it amps up the flavor.  Slightly more moist, but I was hoping for a bit more flavor ... a marinade may get me the pop I'm looking for.

That being said, these were still out of this world.

 

[DivotMaker]

Those look incredible, Joe!  I'm doing spares tomorrow, and brisket Sunday.  Tell any difference in the moistness/tenderness by not foiling them? 

 

[UWFSAE]

Honestly, I actually prefer them unfoiled ... while the 3-2-1 method is damn near bulletproof, I think that the steaming action of cooking ribs in foil does alter the texture of the meat a bit.  I find a slightly firmer, though not significantly drier, meat that pulls from the bone but still has a pleasant "bite" is my preference so I'm going to stick with this for a while until a new whim strikes my fancy ...

I just finished a very simple bone-in country style rib smoke that I'll post in a bit; 3.5 hours, unfoiled, and they turned out perfect.

 

[DivotMaker]

Honestly, I actually prefer them unfoiled ... while the 3-2-1 method is damn near bulletproof, I think that the steaming action of cooking ribs in foil does alter the texture of the meat a bit.  I find a slightly firmer, though not significantly drier, meat that pulls from the bone but still has a pleasant "bite" is my preference so I'm going to stick with this for a while until a new whim strikes my fancy ...

I just finished a very simple bone-in country style rib smoke that I'll post in a bit; 3.5 hours, unfoiled, and they turned out perfect.

Sounds good.  Thanks for the great advice, once again!