Outlaw Country Style Ribs

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 When done right, Country Style Ribs rival the best bbq you can find. There are two types of pork cuts that are referred to as “Country Style Ribs”.
The term came about a long time ago when "Country" people didn’t have access to electric saws or fancy equipment to process pork. The basic tools were butcher knives, hatchets, and the occasional clever. A lot of the meat they were processing was taken off the carcass whole and the parts that were left were cut with the tools they had. The “Country Rib” was the term given to a portion of meat at the end of the loin. In this area there are still a few rib bones after the traditional Spare and loin ribs are removed. This end of the loin is removed whole, bones intact, and then split into the country rib. What’s left is an almost rectangular piece of meat that can be cooked on all four sides.
The other cut of country style ribs isn’t a rib at all. In fact it comes from the butt portion of the shoulder. Meat cutters brought about this cut to make a little more money off the Boston Butt after it’s been trimmed. The first few inches of the butt are cut about 1” thick and this portion is split in half creating the shoulder cut country style rib. You may also see it called “Western Ribs” depending on where you live. If the slices are left whole you’ll have pork steak. Both cuts make excellent BBQ as long as you know how to cook them.
Note: In competitive BBQ you are not allowed to turn in country style ribs since they are not considered true ribs, but don’t let that stop you from knowing how to cook them.   

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. Country Style Ribs
 Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, or Peanut Oil
3/4 cup Apple Juice
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 stick melted Butter
1/3 cup Honey
Sea Salt
Course Black Pepper (Not to heavy)
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Red Pepper Ground (optional)

Directions:
Preheat your smoker to 250°.
Rub a light coat of oil over the ribs for a binder.
Sprinkle ribs liberally with Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika and Ground Red Pepper.
Cover ribs and let rest for at least one hour.
Place the ribs on a rack inside a deep pan. The ribs can also  be placed directly on a smoker rack if preferred.
Place the ribs in the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. You can check the internal temperature after about 1 1/2 hours.
When the ribs reach 150 degrees, that’s about all the smoke they need.
Remove the ribs from the smoker and place them in a deep pan. No Rack. (If smoked in a pan, remove the rack and discard any juice already in the pan.)
Increase the smoker temperature to 275°.
Mix the apple juice, brown sugar and melted butter together. If possible, heat the mixture in a microwave until hot.
Pour the mixture over the ribs and toss so they are all evenly coated.
Cover the pan with foil.
Place the covered ribs back in the smoker.
Continue to cook covered for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
When time is up, remove the pan from the smoker and take the ribs out.
Remove the braising liquid from the pan and discard.
Put the ribs back in the pan and gently toss the ribs along with the bbq sauce and honey.
Put the pan back in the smoker uncovered for about 20 minutes to allow the sauce to set up.
Remove the pan from the smoker, cover and place in a warm oven until ready to serve.