Trim any excessive connective tissue or fat. Remove the membrane at the back of the rack. I like using a paper towel to help grip the membrane. Once you get a good grip on the membrane, pull and remove it.

Mix the ground black pepper, sugar, kosher salt, granulated garlic, dried thyme, and paprika. Apply a binder like mustard or oil, then generously rub the ribs and ensure all the sides are coated.

Cover the ribs and refrigerate them for 2 hours. When you are ready to cook, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to temperature.

Preheat your smoker to 200F° – 225°F, I like to use applewood, cherrywood or pecan when smoking ribs.

Place your ribs in the smoker and smoke at 200F° —225°F for about 3 hours. Spritz your ribs every 30 minutes. Some delicious rib spritzes are beer, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and broth.

Remove ribs and place on foil flesh side down (you will need enough foil to wrap each rack of ribs up in a parcel).

Cover the ribs with your favorite beer, cider, or preferred liquid. Make sure the foil parcel is closed tight.

Return to the smoker and continue to smoke at 200F° – 225°F for 45-60 minutes.

Open your parcels, baste ribs with BBQ sauce, and leave in the smoker uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 225°F.

Test the ribs using the bend test, pick up the slab with tongs, and bounce it. If you see the ribs start to crack, they are ready.

Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, serving, or eating!