Leite's Ribs with Spicy Bourbon BBQ Sauce

By stancec44

Want to know how to make head-turning ribs with spicy barbecue sauce? It’s easy. Forgo the dry rub, smoke ’em low and slow, and slather ’em with a boozy barbecue sauce just before serving. It’s that simple. The insane tenderness of these ribs is due in large part to that second edict, the one about being smoked nice and sloooooow at a looooooow temperature. No smoker? No sweat. It’s a cinch to jury-rig an outdoor smoker. Take a gander at our recipe testers’ tactics which you’ll find in the comments beneath the recipe. It takes 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Just some salt and pepper, and after a half hour, baste them with some apple juice, and then again after 2 1/2 hours. That’s how you get that paper-thin, candylike glaze.”

“At the restaurant and in this recipe, we use St. Louis-style ribs, which are the spareribs trimmed of the tips. But you can use regular spareribs or even babyback ribs. Make sure to ask your butcher to remove the membrane from the rib racks to let more of the hickory smoke flavor in.”

Ingredients

• 3 racks St. Louis or spareribs or baby-back ribs (10 lbs)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup apple juice
• Spicy Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (in Sauces)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from leitesculinaria.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare a barrel smoker or adapt your charcoal or gas grill for smoking. You want the temperature to be between 225° and 250°F (107°C and 121°C). Take the rib racks out of the refrigerator and allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you get the fire ready.

2. Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper. Place the racks, bone side down, in the smoker and toss in a handful of the soaked hickory chips. Smoke the ribs for 30 minutes, then baste them generously with half of the apple juice. Smoke for 2 1/2 hours longer, rotating the ribs every hour by moving the racks closest to the heat source to the farthest point and vice versa. Be sure to also add charcoal every hour or so to maintain the temperature inside the smoker at about 225°F (107°C). Add more soaked wood chips after 2 hours to keep the smoke flowing. After the additional 2 1/2 hours has passed, baste the ribs a second time with the remaining apple juice. Repeat, continuing to rotate the ribs, add charcoal, and toss more wood chips into the smoker at the previously mentioned intervals, until the ribs are tender and the meat pulls away easily from the bone, 4 to 4 1/2 hours total.

3. Transfer the racks of ribs to a baking sheet, take them inside, and plonk them on a platter or cutting board. Cut the ribs apart, slather them with some of the Spicy Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, and then plonk the rest of the sauce on the table for dipping and dousing.

Note: If you don't have a smoker, put soaked wood chips in heavy foil and poke holes in the packet. Or use an aluminum pan.