Friday, June 29, 2012

Teriyaki Smoked Back Ribs

As I've mentioned before, it's kind of difficult to find a recipe that works really well, and then ignore it completely to try something new. The BBQ ribs I make are great. I love them, my family enjoys them, and even the 5 year old neighbor kid says 'I like Sean's ribs.' But it would be a really boring blog if all I did was post the handful of recipes that I like and didn't venture away from them. So here is an adventure: Teriyaki smoked pork ribs.



pork back ribs in the store package

I wanted to try something new tonight, and I just picked up some pork back ribs from the store the other day when they were on special, so why not ribs again? Teriyaki is my all time favorite flavor on chicken wings. I've never been a hot and spicy fan, and the sweet and salty flavor of a nice gooey teriyaki sauce smothered over big meaty wings is always a winner. So lets see if we can't translate that wonderful taste over to a tender juicy pork rib?

Ribs sitting in a marinator with dry rub on them
As before, I don't care whether its back or side ribs. Back ribs were on special, so that's what I bought. I cut them in half and rubbed them in a teriyaki dry rub that I put together. I went to use that wonderful quick vacuum marinator my wife bought me, but my vacuum sealer doesn't want to work right now. That kind of sucked because I would normally have left the ribs with the dry rub on them for a few hours at least, preferably overnight. So they didn't get the flavor saturation that I was looking for, but they were still respectable. Besides, what better way to spend Canada Day long weekend than taking apart a vacuum sealer?

teriyaki rub in a dish
Sean's Teriyaki Rub

3 Cups brown sugar
1/2 Cup sea salt
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

Combine all the ingredients and blend together. Store in a mason jar or other airtight container and savor the sweet and salty union of this simple delight.

The rub is pretty straightforward. It looks like nothing but brown sugar, but it sure packs some strong yet simple flavors. With the meat coated in the dry rub I started up the kamado. To compliment the sweetness I didn't want to use a strong wood today, so I went with maplewood. I figured it would add a light smokiness with just a hint of sweet flavor that would pair nicely with the teriyaki.

ribs on a grill
Thermometer showing 225°FOnto the kamado everything went, and I set it up for 200°-225°F and a nice, slow smoke. As it was just getting to know the stainless steel grill I made a quick marinade to baste with. I used 6 tablespoons of the teriyaki rub, added 1 cup of water and 1/8 cup of soy sauce. Then I added some thinly sliced green onions from the garden, and a little ground pepper. I cooked the ribs for around 3 hours, basting and turning them every 30 minutes until they had a nice golden color, which for me was around halfway through the 4 hour smoke, and then I put a tray underneath them to shield them from the direct heat of the coals. The smell coming off them at this point was wonderful!
basting liquid in bowl
After the 4 hours were up, I removed the ribs from the grill and set them aside to rest for 10 minutes. While they were sitting there, I took the remaining basting liquid from the bowl, added another 3 tablespoons of the dry rub, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch to it. Then I cooked it over medium heat with a whisk until it thickened up into a nice sauce, and covered the ribs with it.

The verdict? Delicious. I can't wait to try this same flavor on chicken! The sauce at the end came out to this sticky goodness that coated the ribs and made it taste wonderful. In fact, the sauce by itself was a winner, though the ribs were still the star of the show.

cooked ribs on the grill
Summary

1 Rack of Pork Ribs
Maplewood Smoke Chips
Sean's Teriyaki Rub
Basting liquid made from teriyaki rub, green onions (or scallions), ground pepper, and soy sauce
1 Beer (home-brewed is best, but any will work)

Cover the ribs in the teriyaki rub and refrigerate for a few hours. Prepare the kamado for 200°-225°F and the maplewood smoke chips. Cook the ribs for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning and basting every half hour. Place a tray under the ribs once they have a nice golden color. Remove from heat, and let rest for 10 minutes. Use the remaining basing liquid with 3 Tbsp rub, 1 Tbsp soy, and 1/2 Tbsp corn starch, cooked until thickened to make a sauce. Serve with the beer if you haven't drunk it already. If you have... go get another.
teriyaki ribs on a plate
Holy crap these taste good!

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