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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Smoked Balsamic Pork Ribs

It's been a while since I broke out the smoker.  Actually, I haven't had it running since we moved into our new house.  Blasphemy you say?  Well, I agree, and that is why I broke it out two weekends ago.  What better thing to christen it with than ribs, right?  And these ribs aren't just any ribs.. they are smoked AND they are covered with a fantastic balsamic/rosemary rub.  The flavors were amazing.

Don't worry if you don't have a smoker... the flavor of these ribs would be just perfect grilling them or even roasting them in the oven (email me if you want pointers on either way of cooking mentioned).  I might be a little bias though, as I adore balsamic vinegar and rosemary.  It's sort of like chocolate and red wine.. it's like they were meant for each other!

Smoked Balsamic Pork Ribs
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 rack pork ribs
For the glaze:
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
For the smoking:
2 bottles of beer (any kind will do)
mix of Hickory and Texas Roadhouse chips

Directions:
Mince and mash up garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Stir together with rosemary, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper.  Rub evenly all over ribs and cover with plastic wrap.  Marinate in refrigerator for 4-6 hours.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to smoke them.

To make the glaze:  Add water, balsamic, and brown sugar to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Store covered until ready to use.

Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F.  Add your wood chips.  Add the beer to the water pan.  Place the ribs in the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.  Remove from smoker and brush some with half of the glaze.  Wrap tightly in foil and return to the smoker.  Continue to smoke for another 2 hours.

At this point, I threw mine on the grill and basted with the glaze, but you can easily just start eating them and use some of the glaze as a dip.  If you grill, preheat grill to 375 degrees, place directly over the fire and grill for about 4 minutes on each side, basting with remaining glaze.  Remove from grill and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!


One Year Ago:  Jalapeno Cheddar Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Caramelized Chicken Breasts with Garlic Rice

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness - what a fantastic recipe - I'm drooling over these - bookmarked and can't wait!
Mary

Mary said...

These look awesome and I would LOVE some tips for doing them in the oven. I think I am getting closer to just buying the smoker. Between you and Chris and Larry, everything looks so fantastic!

Mary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

Yum! I agree that balsamic and rosemary are BFF. Add some smoke to that and man, I'm just jealous that I didn't get to try these tasty bites of porky goodness. Must get electric smoker. Or wood for my 'old skool' non electric one :) Or better yet, just have you come over & cook them for me. Yes, I like that option the best :)

StephenC said...

If you were going to smoke Adam's ribs would you include Adam's apple?

Pam said...

I usually don't like smoked flavoring but these ribs look and sound amazing!

Yenta Mary said...

I've been wondering 'bout that smoker! These look, sound, undoubtedly smell and taste AMAZING!!!

Candace said...

Balsamic and rosemary were definitely meant to go together. This is another winner, Jenn, and another reason why I NEEEEEEED to get a smoker. I've been wanting one for years and haven't bit the bullet. I need to just do it.

Carla from The River said...

Yum - I can not wait to try this!

Lea Ann (Highlands Ranch Foodie) said...

I wish I had a smoker to "break out". I'd love to try this recipe. I agree, flavors sound fantastic. If it would just stop snowing, I could fire up that grill.

Becki's Whole Life said...

This makes me want to break out the smoker! Balsamic and rosemary is different for smoked ribs, but I love it! I agree, they are a natural combo!

Chris said...

Sounds delicious, Jenn. What kind of ribs did you use? In the picture they look straight like spare ribs but the size and bone look more like back ribs.

Unknown said...

They look and sound amazing these ribs... oh my goodness. I am salivating...

Unknown said...

Nice and simple, Smoked Pork Ribs. Looks delicious

Smoked Pork Ribs Ridgewood