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