The offcut from trimming a rack, and the most underrated thing on the pit. Brisket rub rather than pork rub, and all that extra collagen makes them easier to smoke than a rib.
Order them ahead
Most counters do not carry rib tips, so ask the butcher to put some by — and ask for the biggest they have. A small tip is mostly the tough tail.
The bigger the tip, the better — you want a big meaty piece. Most supermarkets do not carry them, so you may need to talk to a butcher and order them in. Keep in mind that the lean tail on a rib tip is basically a throwaway, so a small tip is mostly tail.
Dry the rib tips off. Spread a thin, even layer of mustard all over them, rubbing it in and making sure there are no clumps. Then add a layer of the brisket rub, as heavy as you would put on a brisket.
Brisket rub, not pork rub. Pork cannot take pepper the way beef can, so make sure the rub is even and covers well rather than piling it on in patches.
Get the pit to 130°C, running about seventy percent oak and thirty percent pecan — or roughly a third each of oak, pecan and hickory if you want hickory in there. Let the wood burn off before the tips go on.
Load the rib tips meaty-side up and watch the temperature. Every time it drops, add a chunk more wood and some charcoal. Applewood really darkens the smoke, so be careful not to add too much. After about two hours you can go pecan and charcoal the rest of the way.
Once the tips have taken on some colour and the rub has started to form a crust — after about two hours — spray them with apple juice, and keep spraying every time you open the pit to check on them.
Rib tips are done when they start to have a little more looseness to them. They will not get as relaxed as a rack of ribs, but you will feel some of that tightness ease up. A big tip can take more than four hours. Spray them with apple juice just before they come off the pit, then let them rest.
Start carving at the flap end and cut that whole tough end off — toss it, or give it to the dog. There may be some bone or cartilage in there. Then cut backward toward the fat end; if you hit a little extra muscle it will take a bit more to get through. Cut the tips into medallions, about a quarter of an inch thick or thinner.
If a rib tip is properly tender, you can really cut it however you like.
Set a charcoal grill up for indirect heat with the same seventy-thirty oak and pecan, and let the wood burn off before the grate goes on. Put the seasoned tips on the side away from the charcoal and wood, cover, and leave the vent in the lid open above them. Check every thirty minutes and add wood chunks each time they burn out; on the second load a chunk of applewood can go in with the rest. Once the rub is set and the crust looks solid — after about an hour — start spraying with apple juice every time you open the grill. They are done when they start to have a little more looseness. Spray, rest ten minutes, then carve as above.
If the colour is getting too dark, move the lid vent over the charcoal instead of over the meat. If it keeps darkening and the tips are still not finished, wrap them in butcher paper or foil and put them back on.