apple  bacon barbecued ribs
for the sauce:
cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until browned and crisp , 10 to 15 minutes , turning occasionally
drain the bacon on paper towels and eat it whenever you like
pour about one-half the bacon fat into a small saucepan and reserve the remaining fat in the skillet for the barbecue sauce
to the saucepan , add 1 / 2 cup of the apple juice and 2 tbs
of the cider vinegar
bring to a simmer over medium heat and then remove from the heat
add the remaining 1 / 4 cup apple juice , 3 tbs
cider vinegar , and the ketchup , worcestershire sauce , chile powder , paprika , cumin , celery seed , and pepper to the bacon fat in the skillet
cook over medium-low heat , whisking until smooth
as soon as the barbecue sauce simmers , remove the skillet from the heat
for the ribs
soak the wood chips in water for about 1 hour
slide the blade of a dinner knife under the thin , translucent silverskin that covers the bone side of each rack
lift and loosen the membrane until you can grab it with a paper towel
pull it off and discard
in a small bowl mix the spice rub ingredients
sprinkle the rub all over the ribs , seasoning the meaty sides a little more than the bone sides and working the rub into the meat
stand the ribs upright in a rib rack so that the meaty sides face the same direction
leave as much room as possible between the racks
they shouldnt touch
let the racks sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes while you prepare the grill
prepare the fire
drain the wood chips
if your grill has a smoker box , follow the manufacturers instructions for lighting the wood chips and heat one of the grills burners on high
if your grill doesnt have a smoker box , lay the chips evenly inside a small disposable aluminum drip pan
cover the pan with foil
poke 10 to 15 holes in the foil
remove the cooking grate from the grill
with the lid open , light the grill with all burners on high
close the lid and heat the grill for 10 to 15 minutes
using tongs or an insulated mitt , set the pan of wood chips in one of the rear corners of the grill , right over a lit burner or two
replace the cooking grate
close the lid and wait until smoke pours out of the chip pan , usually 20 to 30 minutes
then turn off all the burners except the one just below the chips
begin cooking the ribs
carefully set the rib rack on the side of the cooking grate opposite the lit burner , with the bone sides of the racks facing the lit burner
close the lid and adjust the remaining burner until the temperature is 300fthis could require a low , medium , or high setting , depending on your grill
smoke the ribs for 1 hour for baby backs , 2 hours for spareribs
during this initial cooking , prepare the mop and sauce
baste the ribs and continue to cook
remove the ribs from the grill and from the rib rack and lay them on a large rimmed baking sheet
lightly brush the ribs on both sides with about half of the mop
carefully put the ribs back in the rib rack , again all facing the same direction but this time turned upside down so that the parts that havent browned as much will get more exposure to the heat and smoke
return the rib rack to the cool side of the grill , again facing the bone sides toward the heat
close the lid