Sticky Smoked Pork Rib Tips with Brown Sugar Butter BBQ Glaze

These smoky, sticky pork rib tips are built for serious barbecue flavor: a mustard binder, a bold dry rub, slow smoke, and a final covered braise with butter, brown sugar, and a sweet-tangy barbecue glaze. The result is deeply seasoned pork with dark bark on the outside and juicy, tender meat inside.

Prep: 20 minutesSmoke: 2–3 hoursBraise/finish: 45–75 minutesServes: 6–8

Finished sticky smoked pork rib tip held after cooking

Finished pork from the supplied cooking video.

Recipe reconstruction: The cooking method below is recreated from the visible steps in the supplied video. Exact brand names and measurements were not shown clearly, so the quantities are calibrated to reproduce the technique and appearance seen in the footage.

Ingredients

For the pork

4–5 lb pork rib tips, riblets, or meaty spare-rib trimmings
3 tbsp yellow mustard, for the binder
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp coarse black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne, optional

For the sticky finishing glaze

1 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup apple juice
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1. Coat the Pork with Mustard

Pat the pork dry. Add yellow mustard and massage it over every surface. The mustard is mainly a binder: it helps the dry seasoning cling evenly and contributes a subtle tang after smoking.

Pork rib pieces being coated with yellow mustard before seasoning

The video shows the pork being thoroughly coated before the dry seasoning is added.

2. Season Generously

Combine smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cayenne. Sprinkle the mixture heavily over the mustard-coated pork, turning the pieces so every side gets seasoned. Let the meat sit for 15–20 minutes while the smoker heats.

3. Smoke Until the Bark Sets

Preheat a smoker or pellet grill to 250°F (121°C). Arrange the pieces with a little space between them so smoke can circulate. Smoke for about 2 to 3 hours, turning once if needed, until the surface is deep red-brown and the seasoning has formed a dry, flavorful bark.

Seasoned pork rib tips smoking on a grill rack

The smoked pork develops a dark red bark before the covered finishing stage.

4. Make the BBQ Finishing Sauce

While the pork smokes, combine barbecue sauce, apple juice, mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat and whisk until smooth. You want a pourable glaze that is sweet, tangy, and concentrated enough to cling to the meat.

Liquid being added to barbecue sauce and mustard in a saucepan

The video includes a saucepan step for building the finishing sauce.

5. Add Butter, Brown Sugar, and Sauce

Transfer the smoked pork to a large disposable aluminum pan. Scatter the butter cubes over the meat and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly across the top. Pour the warm barbecue mixture over everything. Toss gently so the sauce reaches the bottom of the pan and coats the pork.

Smoked pork rib tips in aluminum pan with butter brown sugar and barbecue sauce

Butter, brown sugar, and the cooked sauce are added before the final tenderizing stage.

6. Cover and Finish Until Tender

Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and return it to the smoker at 275°F (135°C) for 45–75 minutes. Start checking around the 45-minute mark. Rib tips contain bone and connective tissue, so tenderness is a better guide than a single temperature. The meat should feel soft when probed and should pull cleanly from the bone without becoming mushy.

For a stickier finish, uncover the pan and return the pork to the grill for another 10–15 minutes. Spoon some of the reduced pan glaze over the pieces as they cook.

7. Rest and Serve

Rest the pork for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon a little extra glaze over the top. These rib tips work especially well with coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, or grilled corn.

Close up of tender glazed smoked pork rib tip

The finished pork is glossy, smoky, and coated in a sticky glaze.

Helpful BBQ Tools from Amazon

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Z GRILLS 2025 Electric Pellet Grill and Smoker 700D6

Z GRILLS 2025 Electric Pellet Grill & Smoker 700D6

This Z GRILLS pellet grill and smoker offers a large cooking area, dual-wall insulation, PID temperature control, meat-probe support, and hopper clean-out features that make it well suited to low-and-slow barbecue recipes such as smoked rib tips. The product image is loaded directly from Amazon’s media server.

Check on Amazon

More useful tools

A fast-read thermometer helps check tenderness and food safety, long grill tongs make turning hot pieces easier, and a deep disposable aluminum pan is ideal for the butter-and-brown-sugar finishing stage.

Instant-Read Thermometers Heavy-Duty Grill Tongs Aluminum BBQ Pans

Tips for the Best Smoked Rib Tips

Do not rush the bark. Wait until the rub looks dry and set before moving the pork into the covered pan.
Use indirect heat. The sugar in the rub and glaze can burn over direct flame.
Keep the pan tightly covered. Trapped steam and sauce help soften connective tissue during the final stage.
Finish uncovered for extra stickiness. A short final cook concentrates the glaze.
Rest before serving. Ten minutes gives the hot juices and glaze time to settle.

Recipe Card