THERMAPEN SMOKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare curing rub by mixing all dry ingredients.
• Remove skin from pork belly with a sharp knife.
• Apply the cure to pork belly, making sure to cover entirely.
• Place pork belly into large ziploc bag or sealed container, and refrigerate for a week.
• Flip daily, making sure the cure liquid covers the flipped side.
• After a week, remove from fridge and give the it a thorough rinse to remove the cure.
• Pat dry, and return to fridge on a rack over a tray overnight to dry and for pellicle to form.
• Set up your smoker to run at 200°F, and smoke the pork belly until it hits an internal temp of 160°F, around 3.5-4hrs. Check internal temp regularly to avoid overcooking.
• Cool, then chill in fridge overnight.
• Slice to desired thickness and store.

Steps:

• Rinse the ribs in cold water and pad dry. Trim any excess fat or connective tissue. Only leave what you want to eat. 
• On the bone side of the ribs, remove the membrane. A quick trick is using a piece of paper towel to help grip the membrane. Once you get a good grip of the membrane, simply pull until it is completely removed.
• Once the ribs are prepped, I apply my favorite rub generously. Make sure to cover all the sides and edges of the ribs.Cover the ribs and keep in the fridge for 2 hours or more. 
• Remove the ribs from the fridge and allow to warm slightly on the counter. Fire up the smoker to 225F. I use Pecan or Cherry, when smoking ribs. 
• Once the smoker is at proper temp, place the ribs on the grill meat side up.
• Now you can pretty much wait for the three hours to pass or some fanatics prefer to spritz their ribs every 30-45 minutes with a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Adding moisture to the ribs aids in a smoky bark. After three hours, remove the ribs and place each rack meat side up on a large piece of Heavy Duty tin foil. 
• Brush melted butter over the tops of the ribs then followed by brushing the melted honey. You can spritz the ribs for extra moisture at this time. Flip the racks around so the bone side is facing up. Brush with melted butter and melted honey. 
• Leave the racks bone side up and wrap the ribs tightly. Place back on the smoker bone side up for 45-60 minutes. Keep the temp at 225F. Optional: If you want the ribs more tender or closer to fall of the bone, cook in the foil for 1.5-2 hours.
• Remove the ribs from the foil and place back on the grill. Brush the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce. Cook for approximately 30-45 more minutes at 225F.
• Check for doneness by using your grill tongs and pickup up the ribs and give them a slight bounce. If the meat starts to slightly split, the ribs are done.Remove from the smoker and cover in foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. 
• Be a professional and take a sharp knife (I use a Henkel Serrated Bread Knife) and cut each rib individually. You’ll notice how the ribs don’t fall apart as you cut. Also look for that beautiful pink smoke ring.