Weeknight Smokehouse Ribs

Here’s the scoop. BBQ is sacred. It’s a labor-intensive act of love, and truly so worth the reward. But, what about that craving that hits you on a Wednesday, and all you can hear is the subtle whisper of “ribs” in your mind? What if we tried something, maybe just once, maybe a million times more (since it’s delicious), and we create a little BBQ shortcut? I’m cooking ribs in the instant pot and finishing them on the smoker- creating that tender, fall-off-the-bone experience, with all that smokey layering, in about an hour. Some may say it cannot be done, but you’re going to try and see it can. Hit the baby backs with a healthy rub of Char-Griller Rib Rub, and your favorite BBQ sauce.

I have a Texas Trio from Char-Griller. It’s a three-in-one grill, featuring propane, a charcoal, and an off-set smoking box that really bring all of your bbq dreams come to life. It also has a side burner which is perfect for heating up side dishes, or lighting charcoal!

This blog is done in long term partnership with Char-Griller Grills. All thoughts, recipes, and opinions are my own.

One of the most common questions I get during Grilling Q+A’s, are how to light charcoal. I use a Charcoal Chimney, and fill it with charcoal, and set it right over the extra burner. Light the burner, let it catch for about 1-2 minutes, kill the heat, and then walk away- letting the charcoal begin to light from the bottom up, taking about 20 minutes for the full chimney to be full lit. If you don’t have an extra burner on your grill, you can place a charcoal lighter under the chimney, or even paper, lighting that first, placing the chimney over the top, and letting the flame catch. Don’t be afraid to try, eventually you will find the method that is easy for you. I highly recommend wearing a heat protecting glove when working with a Charcoal Chimney, and will link my favorites here.

Now that we’ve discussed the charcoal, let’s talk about the ribs! I’m using pork baby-back ribs, and removing the silver skin. If you’ve never done that before, let me walk you through it. Just place a butter knife between the meat and the membrane, wiggling a little until you create a pocket big enough to slip your finger in- then pull up, removing the membrane. You want to remove that so the meat has a chance to get tender- otherwise it will remain tough.

After that, we just rub the ribs with the rub, place in the instant pot, and let the pressure cooking do it’s thing. The charcoal heats while the ribs cook, and then we finish with some smoke action to bring home that smokehouse flavor. I’m not sure i’ll cook ribs any other way after this- and may even try a pork butt sometime, too! Let’s dig in!

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