Classic barbecued sticky ribs

By: Ben O'Donoghue
From: Ben's BBQ Bible
Serves: 4-6
Photographer: Billy Law

Barbecued ribs conjure up images of classic American barbecues. They’re slow-cooked, to achieve meat that’s tender, moist and smoky, and finished with a sticky-sweet, sometimes sharp sauce or glaze.

There are thousands of recipes for these babies — there are even world barbecue championships to find the best rib recipes! Some people boil their ribs first, but true practitioners of the fine art of barbecuing believe this is a cardinal sin. The only way to achieve perfection is firstly to rub the ribs and then to barbecue them. The rub is generally a mix of salt, sugar and spices, which cures the meat, drawing out excess moisture and concentrating the flavour. The sugar helps to tenderise the flesh and slowly caramelises during the barbecue process to add to the wonderful flavour of the meat. You will need about 6–8 handfuls of soaked woodchips for this one.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
3-4kg	pork baby back ribs
250ml	apple juice

Rub

Quantity	Ingredient
1 teaspoon	Celery salt
1 tablespoon	soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon	salt
1 teaspoon	chilli powder
1 teaspoon	smoked paprika
1 teaspoon	freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon	mustard powder
1 tablespoon	onion flakes
1 tablespoon	garlic flakes

Glaze

Quantity	Ingredient
1 cup	brown sugar
250ml	malt vinegar
1/2	cinnamon stick
1	small dried red chilli, crumbled
250ml	tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon	dijon mustard
100g	creamed horseradish
100ml	dark rum

Method

Make the rub by placing the ingredients in a food processor and mixing until fine. Rub over the pork ribs and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours or overnight. The rub will keep for 1 month if stored in an airtight container, but you should use it all in this recipe.
Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature.
Prepare your barbecue for indirect cooking over low–medium heat (roughly 100–120°C if you have a thermometer). Add a handful of pre-soaked woodchips to the coals, place the ribs over a drip tray and cook with the lid on until soft and tender, or until the bone pulls away from the meat. This will take 2–3 hours to do properly. Add woodchips every 40 minutes or so to keep the gentle smoke flavour going.
If using a gas barbecue, light the outer gas burners. Heat some pre-soaked woodchips in a smoke box prior to adding the ribs with the gas on high; when the woodchips start to smoke, turn the heat down, place the ribs on the grill racks between the gas burners and cook on a low–medium heat as above.
Spray the ribs with apple juice from time to time to keep them moist.
While the ribs are cooking, combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until thick then keep warm.
Once the ribs are cooked, cut them between the bones and place in a dish. Toss through the glaze then return the ribs to the barbecue, this time over direct heat to get them nice and hot and sticky.
Transfer to a serving dish and eat straight away.