If you want a recipe for competition style smoked BBQ ribs then you’ll want to read on.

While some people like their ribs to have a ‘fall-off-the-bone,’ texture others prefer a bite to their ribs. If you like your ribs to have a melty (some say mushy!) texture you’ll want to try our 321 ribs recipe or our 221 ribs recipe. Essentially you will want to wrap your ribs so that they steam inside foil or butcher’s paper for the second stage of the cook for around 2 hours.

If you like a slight bite to your ribs like you would get in a BBQ competition then read on.

You can use any type of pork ribs in this recipe, just be aware that the smaller Baby Back ribs will cook more quickly than larger fattier cuts such as St Louis cuts or spare ribs. You will have to take care to make sure they don’t overcook quickly.

What does Competition Style Ribs Mean?

Competition style ribs mean the smoking process of ribs commonly seen in barbecue competitions. These ribs are cooked over indirect heat with just the right amount of seasoning and smoking time to ensure there is a slight bite to the ribs. Standards are high and BBQ smoked ribs with a slight bite (rather than those with wet and mushy meat) are highly prized.

The meat should pull off the bone rather fall off the bone and the judges bite in the middle of the rib to test it. If there is any cartilage in the bite the rib is undercooked, and if there isn’t a pull off the bone texture to the rib it is overcooked.

Watch this great video below on Competition Ribs with Heath Riles for a look at his entire process for winner ribs for more information on the subject.

What Temp is Competition Ribs Cooked to?

Competition ribs are typically cooked to an internal temperature of around 203-205°F (95-96°C). This ensures that the meat reaches a tender and juicy consistency, allowing the connective tissues to break down and render the ribs to optimum flavour levels. Most importantly, it means that the ribs have a slight bite and a pull-off-the-bone texture as opposed to having a fall-off-the-bone texture.

What is the 2 2 1 Method for Ribs?

If you are smoking ribs at home, you might want to follow the 2 2 1 method for ribs. This involves smoking the ribs for 2 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped in foil and then a final hour unwrapped but brushed with BBQ sauce.

Best Wood For Competition Style Ribs

The classic wood pairing for pork ribs is apple, but cherry is also a good choice. If you like a stronger smoke flavour hickory is great but mesquite is best avoided because it can be overpowering. Pecan wood is also worth considering as it can be compared to apple or cherry wood in terms of sweetness, but it has a slightly smokier profile.

Competition Ribs vs Fall Off the Bone

Competition ribs typically have a bite to the ribs, whereas fall off the bone ribs have been wrapped in foil for 2 hours and have a fall off the bone texture. This is probably the clearest difference between barbecue competition ribs vs fall off the bone ribs.

Competition style ribs

There is a lot of disagreement between pitmasters, BBQ competitiors and BBQ enthusiasts about whether to wrap ribs during a smoke (or when!). Meathead from AmazingRibs.com is a strong advocate for ribs that have a bite to them, and is very much against the popular 3-2-1 ribs method.

He even suggests that wrapping your ribs isn’t necessary when cooking in your own backyard because it only brings about a slight improvement that is better suited to competition circuits, where slight improvements can give competitors an edge.

It’s definitely worth having a look at Meathead’s Ribs Article because it is so informative on many levels.

Competition Style BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 rack of pork ribs – the method is the same for Baby Back Pork Ribs, Spare Ribs or St Louis Style – Baby Back ribs take almost half the amount of time to smoke as the other 2
• BBQ rub of choice – we like Meat Church Honey Hog. If you want to make your own we recommend Meathead’s Memphis Rub below:
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup of white sugar
• ½ cup sweet paprika
• ¼ cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Competition Style BBQ Ribs Method

• Bring your rack of ribs out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking them
• Remove the membrane at the back of the ribs by sliding a sharp knife under it at the tips of the bones then pulling at the loosened membrane with your thumb or finger – see the video to help
• Rub some mustard (or a neutral oil e.g. peanut) onto the back of the ribs to act as a binder then liberally dust with your BBQ rub
• Turn over and repeat the process for the top of your ribs
• Leave for 20 minutes or so while you preheat your smoker
• If using a wood pellet grill fill the hopper with your choice of pellets (half hickory half cherry is our preferred wood choice) and get the temperature up to 275F or 135C – otherwise fill your offset smoker with a mix of cherry and hickory wood chunks and charcoal and get it up to the same temperature
• Set your ribs on the smoker grate taking care not to move them too much so the rub stays on – push the ribs together at both ends to bunch them up together so they cook evenly and the meat between the bones rises up for nice bite
• Smoke at 275F for around 2 hours or so (around 1 and a half hours for Baby Back) until the ribs have a bit of bend in them and when you touch the ribs with your fingers none of the rub comes off and a bark has formed
• Now it’s time to wrap the ribs – place in aluminium foil with a little butter and some of your seasoning then wrap tightly in double layers of foil in case the bones tear the foil
• Place the wrapped ribs back in the smoker for 45 minutes to an hour until the internal temperature reads 203-205F or 95-96C
• Brush the ribs with your favourite BBQ sauce and put them back unwrapped in the smoker for a final 15 minutes (alternatively serve them dry Memphis style or with BBQ sauce on the side)
• Rest the ribs for 10-15 minutes then slice and enjoy!

Competition Style Smoked BBQ Ribs Side Dishes

Ribs are a fantastic appetiser or side in themselves but you can make them go further again by adding some of these great sides:

• Fries (Potato or Sweet Potato)
• Mashed Potatoes
• Corn on the Cob
• Coleslaw
• Baked Beans
• Potato Salad
• Cornbread
• Mac and Cheese
• Any Kind of Side Salad
• Hot Dogs or Burgers

Related Articles

• Quick Smoked BBQ Ribs
• 321 Traeger Ribs
• Smoked Beef Short Ribs

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What way do you prefer to do BBQ Smoked Ribs? Let us know in the comments below.