Maple-Glazed Ribs, You Had Me Until You Said They Don't Smoke 'em With Wood

Now, the Canadians are swell neighbors and I like 'em a lot. According to this recipe though, they make this wonderful rib dish with a maple syrup glaze but don't use wood smoke. Go figure. Anyway, Steve Raichlen has traveled the world researching barbeque and the many different ways it is prepared and he has given me an appreciation for different styles. Now, next time I get the chance I may use this one, but it's gonna have some mesquite or pecan under it, that's for sure!

Maple-Glazed Ribs

Maple-Glazed Ribs

The Recipe

Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings) Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 90 minutes Total Time: 100 minutes Servings: 4

Description If you think the United States is barbecue crazed, wait until you visit Quebec. When I toured our northern neighbor for the launch of the French edition of How to Grill, I encountered grills just about everywhere I went—in backyards and on patios, of course, and on apartment building balconies and fire escapes. No dwelling was so modest that it didn’t possess a grill. Despite the short grilling season (or perhaps because of it), Quebecers are obsessed with grilling. These ribs were inspired by Q

Ingredients For the rub and ribs: 2 Tbsps. maple sugar, turbinado sugar, or light brown sugar 1 Tbsp. dry mustard 2 tsps. coarse salt(kosher or sea) 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. crumbled or powdered dried sage 2 racks baby back pork ribs(4 to 5 pounds total) For the maple glaze: 1 cup real maple syrup 3 Tbsps. ketchup 2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar 1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish maple sugar or turbinado sugar Instructions You’ll also need: 1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably maple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained 1. Make the rub: Place the maple sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and sage in a small bowl and mix with your fingers, breaking up any lumps in the maple sugar or dry mustard. 2. Prepare the ribs: Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a baking sheet. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. The best place to start is on one of the middle bones. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with the remaining rack. 3. Sprinkle the rub over both sides of the ribs, rubbing it onto the meat. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you make the glaze and set up the grill. 4. Make the glaze: Place the maple syrup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and horseradish in a heavy nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking to mix. Reduce the heat to medium and let the glaze simmer gently until thick and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes, whisking as needed. Set the glaze aside. 5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325° to 350°F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate. 6. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. If cooking on a charcoal grill and using wood chips, toss half of them on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs for 45 minutes. 7. Brush the ribs on both sides with some of the maple glaze. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, 30 to 45 minutes longer, 1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 hours in all. When the ribs are done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1⁄4 inch. Brush the ribs once or twice more with glaze and, if using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals as needed. 8. Just before serving, brush the ribs once more on both sides with maple glaze and sprinkle both sides with the maple sugar. Move the ribs directly over the fire and grill until the glaze is browned and caramelized, 1 to 3 minutes per side. 9. Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the racks in half or into individual ribs. Serve at once with any remaining maple glaze on the side. Variation How to cook Maple-Glazed Ribs in a smoker: Set up and light the smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat it to low (225° to 250°F). Place the ribs in the smoker bone side down and smoke until cooked through, 4 to 5 hours. Start brushing the ribs with glaze after 2 hours and repeat every 30 minutes. Sprinkle the maple sugar over the ribs 30 minutes before you plan on serving them. You’ll need to replenish the wood chips or chunks after the first and second hour of smoking and to replenish the coals every hour. Tip: Quebec is a major producer of hardwood charcoal, but most of the locals don’t go in for much wood smoke. In fact, most cook on gas grills. Using chunks of maple wood to smoke-roast the ribs could be considered an American twist. I like them this way, but it would be perfectly authentic to use a gas grill. Tip: The ribs acquire their candylike crust from caramelized maple sugar. This distinctive sweetener is available at natural foods markets and specialty food stores. A turbinado sugar, such as Sugar In The Raw, will work in a pinch. Recipe courtesy of Steven Raichlen; from the book Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs (Workman, 2006). Used with permission. To learn more about Steven Raichlen, visit www.barbecuebible.com.

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