We need PBR! :(
I like to brine my ribs anytime I'm cooking them over dry heat (grill or smoker) and not braising them. The brine offers good insurance against losing moisture on the grill or smoker, and helps add flavor to the meat.
For the picture below, I used a standard brine (1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon water) and added 1/4 cup of sugar per gallon of brine, pickling spice, yellow onion, whole garlic cloves (smashed), and liquid smoke if you're not using a smoker. Brine at least 4 hours (or overnight if you can), remove from the brine and pat dry. Do
not rinse!
Smoke at 250F for 3-4 hours, then wrap in butcher paper and smoke for an additional 1-2 hours. Remove from the smoker and let them rest at least 20-30 minutes. I like to toss them back onto a pretty hot grill for some charring, brush on a light glaze of BBQ sauce and let it caramelize.
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