Recipe Smoked Baby Back Ribs Tagine Style Smothered In Spicy Apricot Sauce Recipes

SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Prepare the ribs (see below). Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, mustard powder and 2 tablespoons salt in a small bowl. Rub the ribs all over with the cut sides of the lemon and then the spice mixture and place in a large roasting pan or resealable plastic bag. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Meanwhile, soak the wood chips in water 1 hour, then prepare your grill for smoking, filling the smoker box with one-quarter each of the wood chips and apple.
• About 30 minutes before smoking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the apple juice, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar in a small spray bottle. Shake to mix.
• Once the grill reaches 250 degrees F, lightly brush the grates with vegetable oil and place the ribs on the cooler side of the grill, meat-side up. Spray with the apple juice mixture. Close the grill and let smoke 1 hour.
• Replenish the smoker box with another one-quarter each of the wood chips and apple. Flip the ribs so they're meat-side down with the opposite edge of the racks closer to the smoker box. Spray with the apple juice mixture; close the grill and let smoke 1 more hour. Repeat this process every hour until the ribs are dark brown and tender and the meat starts to shrink away from the bones, about 2 more hours. Remove the ribs from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• How to prep your ribs:
• Position the ribs meat-side down. Insert a paring knife under the membrane that covers the back of the rack. Loosen the membrane with the knife. Grab the membrane with your fingers and peel off completely.

BABY BACK RIBS WITH SPICY PEACH BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• For the ribs: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt and paprika. Place the ribs on 2 sheets of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around them and seal. Rub the ribs evenly on all sides with the sugar mixture. Bring the foil up and around the ribs and crimp closed. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender but not falling apart, about 3 1/2 hours. Allow to cool slightly, about 30 minutes.
• For the sauce: Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the peaches and stir to coat with the flavors. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and Calabrian chili and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Add any dripping that may have accumulated on the baking sheet from the pork. Simmer until the peaches are very soft, about 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until it is as smooth or as chunky as you like.
• Preheat the broiler to high heat. Spoon one-quarter of the sauce all over the ribs. Broil for 4 minutes. Remove and repeat the process another 2 times, until the sauce is thick, sticky and golden brown. Serve with more sauce on the side if desired.

BABY BACK RIBS (SMOKER, OVEN, OR OVEN-TO-GRILL)

Steps:

• Make the Spice Rub: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper.
• Preheat the smoker to 225°F or the oven to 300°F. (If using the oven, set one rack in the middle position and one rack in the top position.)
• Remove the membrane that coats the underside of each rack of ribs. Using a butter knife, loosen the membrane around one of the end bones, scraping it away from the ribs. Once you get under it, grab the membrane with a paper towel and peel it off. If you're lucky, it will come off all in one piece. (Alternatively, ask your butcher to do this for you.)
• Coat the ribs evenly on both sides with about half of the spice rub. Allow the ribs to sit for about 15 minutes to "sweat" and absorb the rub, then coat the racks with the remainder of the rub. It will seem like too much rub but it's not - use it all.
• Smoker Method: Place the spice-coated ribs in the smoker and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and double wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil. Return to the smoker for 1½ hours. Remove the foil-wrapped ribs from the smoker (hot grease may drip out of the foil, so be careful). Carefully unwrap, leaving the ribs on the foil, and brush to the top of each rack with about 3 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce. Fold the edges of the foil around the ribs, creating a makeshift "pan" for each rack. Place the racks back in the smoker on the foil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour more, or until the racks are tender. To determine if they're done, lift them from the center with tongs - if they bend easily and the meat "cracks" on top, they are ready. Let the ribs cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
• Oven or Oven-to-Grill Method: Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the spice-coated ribs on the prepared pan, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake until tender, about 2 hours. Turn the oven to broil. Remove the foil from the ribs and brush each rack with 3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce. Broil until the sauce just starts to bubble and caramelize, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on the ribs while they're under the broiler; because of the sugar in the rub and sauce, they will quickly go from nicely caramelized to burnt. (Alternatively, you can skip the broiling and finish the ribs on the grill. Preheat the grill to medium and grill the baked racks for 10 to 15 minutes, brushing occasionally with the BBQ sauce until charred in spots and heated through. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent burning.) Let the ribs cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
• Reheating/Freezing Instructions:The cooked ribs will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the ribs overnight in refrigerator if necessary, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the ribs with another layer of BBQ sauce and cover tightly with foil. Warm in a 250°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until warmed through. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the sauce to set and the bark to crisp up.

BABY BACK RIBS, SMOKED TO PERFECTION

Steps:

• Place 3 fist-sized chunks of wood in a smoker and heat to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C).
• While the wood burns down, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin together. Apply the rub to both sides of the ribs.
• Add ribs to the smoker, bone-side down, once a thin blue smoke appears. Smoke for 2 hours. Wrap ribs lightly in aluminum foil to retain juices. Continue smoking for 1 1/2 hours at 225 to 250 degrees F (107 to 121 degrees C).
• Remove foil and continue to smoke until meat is tender but still stays on the bone, about 1 hour more, brushing lightly with barbeque sauce in the last 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

HICKORY-SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• The Rainford Method
• For the ribs, stir together the sugar, salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, regular paprika, onion powder, black pepper and thyme. Set aside.
• With a small, sharp knife, release the edge of the membrane on the back of each rack of ribs. Grasp the edge with needle-nose pliers or a piece of paper towel and peel the membrane off the rack. (If you leave the membrane on, the ribs will be chewy.)
• Spread the dry rub all over each rack of ribs until completely coated. Make sure you press the dry rub into the meat. This is where your flavor is going to come from. Arrange the ribs in a rib rack, with all the racks facing the same direction. A rib rack has 8 slab compartments, looks like a rack of coat hangers and can be purchased at most barbecue stores.
• Fire up your charcoal grill and prep the grill for cooking over indirect heat. You need a low temperature of around 250 to 300°F (120 to 150°C) to grill the ribs. For gas grills, preheat the grill to low then turn off one side of the grill to achieve indirect heat. Place a drip tray on the cooler side of the grate and half fill the pan with warm water or the beer of your choice.
• Drain 2 chunks of hickory, place them on top of the charcoal and set the grate in place. For gas barbecues, place half of the hickory chips in a foil pouch and place the pouch directly on the heated side of the grill. Wait for the hickory to start to smoke.
• Place the rib racks over indirect heat as far from the heat as possible, with the bone sides facing toward the heat. Close the lid and close the top vent on a charcoal grill about halfway. This will maintain a temperature between 250 and 300°F (120 and 150°C). Cook the ribs for 2 hours.
• Once the ribs are on, it's time to start working on the barbecue sauce. If you have a side burner this can be done outside. If you don't, go inside and use your stove top to simmer your sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce reaches a glaze consistency. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.
• The first batch of charcoal should be cooling down after 2 hours. Now is the time to use your chimney starter and get another batch of charcoal lit. Add the remaining wood chunks to the coals to get a little more smoke. If using a gas grill, wrap the remaining chips in foil and place directly on the hotter side of the grate. Close the lid and grill for another 2 hours. Make sure to come back every hour on the hour to check the temperature and to add more charcoal, if necessary. In the last hour of grilling, your ribs will start to show signs of cooking all the way through. When the meat pulls back from the bone, the ribs are almost ready. Baste the ribs with the barbecue sauce during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. I like to tent my ribs before serving, so take them off the grill and let them rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes.