Pitmaster Matt Pittman gave us this recipe for his honey barbecue ribs. Matt is the owner of Meat Church BBQ and star of on the hit TV show BBQ Pitmasters.

This recipe for Matt’s Honey Barbecue Ribs uses Matt’s recommended “3-2-1” method, which he named for the number of hours recommended for each of the three cooking stages. This recipe goes great with Burleson’s Raw & Unfiltered Honey.

Want to learn more about Matt’s barbecue technique and Burleson’s sponsorship of the award-winning Meat Church BBQ Competition Team? Visit our page about honey and barbecue.

Ingredients

  • Pork ribs (Matt prefers St. Louis cut)
  • Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ Rub
  • Meat Church Honey Hog Hot Rub
  • 1 cup of apple juice for spritzing
  • 1 bottle of squeeze butter
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of Burleson's Raw & Unfiltered Honey
  • 1 tbsp of hot sauce (optional)
  • BBQ Sauce (optional)

Directions

  • 1
    Prepare your smoker at 250° F. Matt recommends hickory wood for this smoke.
  • 2
    Flip the ribs meat side down and remove the membrane off the back of the rack. This is easily accomplished by grabbing the membrane with a paper towel and pulling it off. Removing the membrane will allow the rub to penetrate into the meat more effectively.
  • 3
    Apply one heavy coat of Meat Church's Honey Hog BBQ Rub.
  • 4
    Allow the rub to "soak in" for 15 mins.
  • 5
    Apply a coat of Meat Church's Honey Hog Hot Rub. Allow to sit for 15 mins.
  • 6
    Now that the ribs have sat for 30 mins total, flip them over and repeat the same process on the other side.
  • 7
    Place the ribs meat side up in the smoker, and smoke for three hours or until you see a beautiful mahogany color, spritzing the ribs with apple juice every 45 minutes.
  • 8
    Lay out two long pieces of aluminum foil and create a bed of butter, brown sugar, and honey on the foil.
  • 9
    Lay the ribs right smack in the middle of the sweet concoction. Depending on your preference you can do the same for both sides of the ribs.
  • 10
    Return the ribs to the smoker and continue to cook for another two hours.
  • 11
    Remove the ribs from the foil and continue to smoke for one final hour.
  • 12
    During this last phase, apply a BBQ sauce or glaze if you like. It is only necessary to leave the sauce on long enough to "lock it in.” This should take approximately 20 mins.
  • 13
    Remove the ribs from the smoker and allow to sit for a few minutes.
  • 14
    Slice and eat.