Day before cooking

• Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by loosening it with a knife at one end and pulling it free, gripping it with a paper towel. 
• Cut the ribs into wide ribs by cutting on the right side of the left-most bone, then the left side of the third bone, then the right side of that same bone, etc. Save the extra bones for another use. 
• Use about 2–3 Tbsp of BBQ sauce to brush each rib, front and back. This is your binder. (Sub mustard if it suits your smoker or tastes better.)
• Liberally season the ribs with BBQ rub on all sides. 
• Refrigerate the ribs overnight, uncovered, on a rack set into a baking sheet. 

On the day of cooking

• Preheat your smoker. Install Billows and use the air probe from your Smoke X2 to set the temperature to 225°F (107°C). 
• Place the ribs in the smoker, and insert the meat probe from your Smoke X2 (we used the optional 2.5″ needle probe) into one of your biggest ribs. Set your high-temp alarm to 200°F (93°C) on your meat channel. Cook the ribs.
• After 4 hours, glaze the ribs with a mixture of the reserved BBQ sauce and the syrup. Continue to cook for about 40 more minutes. 
• Check the internal temperature and the tenderness of your ribs with your Thermapen ONE. If they’ve hit 195°F (91°C), they’re probably appropriately tender. (Tenderness is a matter of taste; adjust your pull temp to your liking, then write it down!) Pull from heat. 
• Serve!