For Bbq-fanatics any day is a good day for grilling out on the deck, but the most popular day of the year for BBQ in the entire US is, unsurprisingly, Independence Day.

Smoking and BBQ have a strong regional presence in America with much contention between different cities claiming to be the Barbecue Capital of the country and all have the right credentials and compelling reasons. The world’s largest BBQ pit hails from Texas, Oklahoma has the most Barbecue eateries per capita, ahead of Georgia, and South Carolina stands out prominently among all other que’ states for having four distinct domestic barbecue sauces, while Lexington, North Carolina boasts of being “The Barbecue Capital Of The World.”

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city and far from all the fierce competition, acrimony, and conflict of other states is Montana’s bbq tradition impervious to the shackles of ego and tradition. It draws strength by focusing solely on the phenomenal magic that happens when meat is kissed by the flames and a pinch of salt.

Today’s spare ribs are prepared, cooked, and brought back to life with the 3-2-1 method enthusiastically employed in some of the other recipes (see here and here), so straightforward anyone can easily master. That includes you.

Smoke your meat for 3 hrs, smoke for another 2 inside a foil, and follow with another hour of smoking covered with sauce. And voila! We’re there. It’s perfectly okay to stop right here but we like our food with a bit of savagery, which is probably why you are here for another recipe. Turns out, an exquisite meal is so much more than just tossing random ingredients together, it takes patience, imagination, and tried-and-true ingredients to come up with just the right touch of each element.

But before we rock the grill together, rub down your meat (no pun intended. Who are we kidding? Pun fully intended) with Headwater’s Ringing Rock Rib Rub rubs that have just the right balance of ingredients to bring out the natural nuanced flavors of your meat (no giggling) without overpowering them.
Stir together your magical potion of Headwaters Boiling River sweet-and-spicy sauce, and Cold Smoke, a fine brew from Kettle House Brewing Company, which can be subbed with your favorite local scotch ale, if you’re not from Treasure State.

The spareribs’ glistening smokey umami joins forces with the Maillard reaction’s browning on the fire, and a final touch of a refreshing craft beer to create a flavor ecstasy that leaves us all weak in the knees. Following our recipe, you will have created succulent, flavorful, and fall-of-the-bone meat that pairs well with Draught Work’s Hazy IPA for a full and complete culinary experience from Montana.

In this recipe, we pack the best of what our state has to offer.
Make dinners delicious again. Grab your beers. Grab your sauces. And let’s ROCK.