The Easy Smoking Trick That Gives Ribs A Ton Of Extra Flavor

Ribs are a protein that is easy to love. They can be eaten so many different ways, including as the iconic baby backs, braised short ribs, and more. Truly, you haven't lived until you've tried ribs straight from the smoker, as they are infused with so much flavor, woody depth, and juice that they practically fall off the bone and right into your mouth.

If you're looking to give smoked ribs an upgrade, you'll want to turn to a seemingly unique addition: pineapple. It might not be surprising if you eat Hawaiian pizza without any qualms, but pineapple brings a delicious, tropical sweetness to succulent ribs. 

To try this hack at home, you'll first want to smother peeled pineapple (crown still on) in barbecue sauce and place it in the center of a piece of aluminum foil. After the silver film is removed from the ribs, you can dry rub them to your liking and carefully wrap the ribs around your pineapple. After the meat has been affixed with wooden skewers and wrapped with the foil, leaving the crown poking out, bake or smoke your ribs. As the ribs cook, the pineapple's juice will infuse into the meat, offering a tantalizingly tropical flavor and extra sweetness. Plus, you'll have tons of pineapple left over — perfect for making a flavorful slaw or salsa accompaniment for your ribs. 

You really only need two ingredients to make this hack work: ribs and a pineapple. Though, you would be remiss not to upgrade this tantalizing combo with extra ingredients and seasoning. For one, you can tweak the flavor of your dry rub to account for the pineapple's flavor and natural acidity. We recommend adding brown sugar or honey to help draw attention to the fruit's sweetness, but going with classic smoke flavor — by adding paprika, cayenne, and chipotle powder — will really give your fruit and rib combo an even more delectable flavor. 

You can also add some orange slices on top of your pineapple; as the fruit cooks, the acidic juice will seep down and flavor both the ribs and the fruit. Just be sure to save the cooking juice to drizzle over your ribs after they're done.

Pineapple and pork are dominant flavors, so you may want to stick to a simple side for this smoked or baked dish. A simple batch of coconut rice would be excellent, especially if you're chasing a sweeter flavor from your meal, while a simple batch of mashed potatoes would allow the protein and its fruity partner to take center stage.