Prepare the grill or smoker to cook indirect at 300° adding cherry or peach wood for smoke flavor
Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs
Season the ribs liberally on all sides with the rub
Let the ribs rest for 30 minutes so the rub will get tacky
Place the ribs on the cooking grate meaty side up
Cook for 2 hours, then flip the ribs over and cook for another hour until they're well browned on both sides
Lay out three big double sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil
Lay a slab on each meaty side up
Fold up the edges of the foil and add 1/3 cup of apple juice to each packet
Sprinkle 1/3 of the brown sugar over the top of each slab and then 1/3 of the honey
Finish closing up the packets being careful not to puncture the foil with the sharp edges of the rib bones
Put the ribs back on the cooker and cook for about 1 hour or until tender when poked with a toothpick or fork
When the ribs are tender to your liking take them out of the foil and return to the grill meaty side up
If you’re using sauce, brush with a liberal coating of the barbecue sauce
Cook for 15 minutes until the sauce is tacky
Brush the ribs with a second coat of the sauce
Cook for another 15 minutes until the sauce is set
If you’re skipping the cooked-on sauce, just cook them for 10 minutes on each side
Remove to a cutting board and cut each slab into 3 even pieces
Transfer to a platter and serve
Notes
The doneness for ribs is a very personal thing so always cook them to YOUR liking. If you're using Saint Louis cut ribs, cook them the same but cut each bone to serve.