Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke

Ribs Rock The Smoker

Ribs rank among our favorite foods for smoking and are one of the primal pleasures of barbecue. Few ribs are more primal-or satisfying-than our first dish: Brontosaurus-size, grass-fed, barbecued beef plate ribs. Next up: spare ribs from heritage breed Berkshire hogs, slathered with Jamaican jerk seasoning and smoked over exotic pimento wood. Our third rack comes from Colorado: Spice-Smoked Lamb Ribs with Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce. And to round out the meal: a delectably different coleslaw-apple sweetened and hickory-smoked, and smoky bacon-cheddar cheese cornbread. From offset smokers and upright barrel smokers to electric smokers and handheld smoking devices, we'll show you the tools and fuels you need to get the job done. Recipes: Big Bad Beef Ribs; Jamaican Jerk Spare Ribs; Spice-Smoked Lamb Ribs with Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce; Smoked Slaw; Smoked Cheese-Bacon Cornbread.