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

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.

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.

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).

Steps:

• 1. Combine all of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
• 2. Rub on both sides of the ribs massaging it into the meat. Place in a large, sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 2 to 4 hours, or overnight.
• 3. Preheat you smoker to Smoke or a grill set for low, indirect heat. Add the wood chips or pellets and when they start to smoke, place the ribs directly on the grill, close the cover and cook, uncovered for 2-1/2 hours.
• 4. Spray every 30 to 45 minutes with a mixture of water and apple cider. A little Jack Daniels wouldn't hurt either. During this time, I make my mop sauce (See recipe below).
• 5. During the last 30 minutes of the uncovered cooking slather the ribs with the mop sauce. Then after the 2-1/2 hours slather the mop sauce on again, both sides.
• 6. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Turn up the heat to medium and continue to smoke, for 1-1/2 hours.
• 7. After 1-1/2 hours remove the ribs from the foil. Slather again with the mop sauce and cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until the meat has receded from the tip of the bone about 1/4" and are about ready to fall off the bone.
• 8. Slice into small slabs or individual ribs and serve with the remaining mop sauce.
• 9. For the Mop Sauce, heat the oil or butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the shallots are beginning to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and combine. Let cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• 10. Gradually add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally.
• 11. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to simmer and keep warm. If you want to thicken it a little before you serve with the ribs, add a little cornstarch mixed with water into the sauce, bring back to a boil for a few minutes until it starts to thicken. You'll probably have some left for the next time or on other dishes.

Steps:

• For the rub:
• Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the racks with oil and rub with the spice mixture. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• In a large pot over low heat, add all the mop ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
• Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 45 minutes before smoking to allow them to come to room temperature. Add the mix of hickory and applewood chips to the smoker according to package instructions. Heat a smoker to 220 degrees F. Put the apple cider in a small heatproof pan in the smoker.
• Put the ribs directly on the smoker rack. Smoke for 6 hours, brushing the ribs with the mop every hour for the first 5 hours. During the last hour, brush the ribs with the North Carolina Barbecue Sauce every 10 minutes. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and serve.
• For the BBQ Sauce:
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator, stored in a tightly sealed container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat-side up and sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour the barbecue sauce generously on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours for baby backs and 1 3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork. As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional barbecue sauce. Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
• About 40 minutes before you want to serve, heat a charcoal grill with a layer of hot coals or heat a gas grill to medium-high heat. After the charcoal turns gray, brush the cooking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking. Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open!) and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side down, put the lid back on and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board and cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin and pepper flakes.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Use immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate for several weeks.

Steps:

• INSTRUCTIONS For the spicy apricot sauce: Place serrano peppers in smoker for one hour. Cook onions until soft and translucent then add serrano peppers. Add Moroccan rib rub, Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add apricot preserves, honey, tomato sauce and pan drippings. Cook rapidly until sauce thickens then let simmer for one to two hours. For the tagine-style ribs: Remove the membrane from the ribs and rub generously with the rub (about ¾ cup). Prepare smoker for barbecue at 225 to 250 degrees F. Add the ribs to a rack and set a water dish directly below to catch drippings and help braise while cooking. Carefully monitor smoker temperature, adding additional wood as required. After two hours, slice tomato and add to smoker along with the whole garlic clove. After two and a half hours, remove ribs from smoker, dress with spicy apricot sauce, wrap in aluminum foil (a technique known as the "Texas crutch") and return to smoker for the final 30 minutes. After three hours, finely chop smoked tomatoes, peel and chop garlic and add to prepared couscous. Remove ribs and slather generously with sauce. Cut into one to two ribs servings, place over bed of couscous, garnish with mint leaves and serve.