If you’ve ever found yourself torn between ribs and bacon, I’ve got the perfect solution for you: the bacon rib. This glorious cut is essentially a spare rib with the pork belly still attached, meaning you get the best of both worlds—tender, smoky ribs and rich, fatty bacon all in one bite.
The Cut: A Special Request
Bacon rib isn’t something you’ll typically find in the meat section of your local grocery store. I had to make a special request at a local butcher shop to get this cut. After explaining exactly what I was looking for—a full spare rib rack with the belly still intact—the butcher was intrigued and more than happy to prepare it for me. Having a good relationship with your butcher is key when looking for specialty cuts like this, and it was well worth the extra effort.
The Brine: Five Days of Flavor Infusion
Before this masterpiece even touched the smoker, I let it brine for almost five days. A long soak in a well-balanced brine ensures maximum flavor penetration while keeping the meat incredibly juicy during the smoking process. The brine was a simple yet effective blend of water, kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic, black peppercorns, and a touch of maple syrup to enhance the natural sweetness of the pork. Letting it rest in this flavorful bath for nearly a week allowed every fiber of the meat to soak up that savory-sweet goodness.
The Smoke: Hickory for a Bold, Classic Flavor
When it came time to smoke, I chose hickory chips for their bold, slightly sweet smokiness. Hickory is a classic choice for pork, bringing out the deep, rich flavors of both the ribs and the belly. I set my smoker to a steady 225°F and let the bacon rib bathe in hickory smoke for about five hours, watching as the bark slowly developed and the fat rendered to perfection.
The Result: A Bite Worth Savoring
The first bite was everything I had hoped for—crispy, smoky bacon married with fall-off-the-bone tender rib meat. The long brine time ensured every bite was packed with flavor, while the hickory smoke added that signature barbecue depth. Each bite was a textural dream, with the perfect balance of tender meat, rendered fat, and crispy edges.
Smoking a bacon rib is a slow process, but trust me, it’s worth every second. If you’re looking for a show-stopping barbecue dish that combines two of the greatest things in the world—ribs and bacon—this is it. Next time you fire up the smoker, give the bacon rib a try, and prepare yourself for a bite unlike any other.
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