Combine: Combine all of the dry spice ingredients in to a small bowl and mix together well. You've got your dry rub ready to go!

Season the Ribs: Coat the ribs evenly on the front and back of the ribs with the dry rub. Use all of the dry rub. It's not too much, I promise!

Prep Instant Pot: Add in your trivet and the water and the (Optional!) apple cider vinegar to the bottom of your Instant Pot.You want about a cup of liquid in the bottom of the pot. Here's where you would add the liquid smoke if you are using it! If you don't have the trivet piece for your Instant pot, you can also just ball up a few pieces of aluminum foil and put them in the bottom of the pot. You just don't want the ribs to be submerged in the liquid mixture and touching the bottom of the pot.

Put In Ribs: Place the baby back ribs in the Instant pot. You'll have to curl them around to fit inside the pot, or if you prefer, you can slice the ribs in half and then they will stand up in the pot.

Put On Lid: Place the lid on the instant pot pressure cooker and make sure the knob on top is set to "Seal". I don't follow any of the programmed times in the Instant Pot, I just use the manual setting, high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take several minutes for the Instant pot to come up to pressure, and then you're 30-minute timer will begin! You need at least 30 minutes to let the connective tissue break down to make your ribs tender.

Pressure Release: Once the cooking time is up, I like to give the ribs some time to do a natural pressure release. It lets them rest for about 15 minutes and the pressure lowers quite a bit during that time of natural release. After that time, I go ahead and release the remaining pressure, VERY CAREFULLY. I use a wooden spoon to hit the release valve and stand very far back to let it do it's thing.

Prep Oven: Turn your oven onto broil on high and make sure your oven rack is in the middle position.

​Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Transfer: Transfer your ribs on to the foil-covered baking sheet and lay then flat.

Coat: Spoon or brush your ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Broil: Place your baking sheet with the ribs under the broiler for 6-7 minutes or until the bbq sauce starts to caramelize and gets really bubbly and sticky.

Remove: Carefully remove ribs from oven, let them rest for just a minute or two.

Serve: Cut up your ribs and serve them with extra bbq sauce for dipping, if desired.