Smoked Spare Ribs

Whoah. Did I make this? That's what I said when I pulled this from the smoker. I've actually made this a few times now. It always helps to have good meat to start with, which I did. But then I did something that in some ways is pretty easy, and not too time consuming and ended up with something that I was amazed that I made. This is why I rarely go out to eat. That and the fact that I don't have the money to pay for this kind of stuff unless I make it myself. 

5 pound rack of ribs, membrane removed (mine was already cleaned and ready to go--want to learn how to do this? Here's a random video on the subject.)

Have the meat at room temperature. Rub ribs generously on both sides with this dry mix:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup of kosher salt

2 teaspoon of cumin powder

2 tablespoons of paprika

cracked pepper

1 teaspoon of harissa, dried, powdered form

Let meat sit for a few hours at room temperature. Smoke at 225 degrees for about 5 hours, bone side up. You really have to do a temperature on smoked meats; time just won't tell. I pull mine at 165 degrees. I used a mixture of cherry and apple wood.

So, are you a smoker?