SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS WITH CAROLINA VINEGAR BBQ SAUCE
Ingredients
- 4 count Baby Back Ribs, Full Rack
- 1 cup BBQ Seasoning Rub
- 4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 3 tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tbsp Red Pepper Flake
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, Fresh
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 4 tbsp Butter, Salted
- 2 ounce Cleveland Whiskey
- 4 tsp Brown Sugar
- 24 count Smoker Bricx ™ Divided in three portions (optional flavors: Apple, Black Cherry, Hickory)
Instructions
- With your charcoal or gas grill create a medium heat in the direct cooking zone. Opposite from that zone on the grill have a no heat area, your indirect zone. Also recommended is setting up a shallow water pan in the indirect zone beneath the grill grate. Place about an inch of water in the pan, this will help insure there is moisture in the grill. That moisture will help keep your food from drying out and also help the smoke adhere to the ribs. The target zone temperature is between 215 and 235 degrees Fahrenheit inside the grill once it is closed and ready to cook.
- Remove the membrane from the back of each rack of ribs. Generously rub ribs with BBQ seasoning rub, covering all the ribs surface area. Allow rubbed ribs to set for up to an hour before smoking or refrigerate overnight with seasoning for best results.
- In a small pot over medium heat stir together apple cider vinegar, honey, ketchup, red pepper flake, lemon juice, black pepper and salt. Bring to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until honey and salt is completely dissolved. Remove the Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce and reserve warm.
- Place Smoker Bricx ™ in a smoker box directly along the top of the hot coals or with a gas grill place smoker box over gas grill direct heat side. Allow the Smoker Bricx ™ to catch a slight fire before closing the lid on grill. Use grill vents to control the air flow (oxygen) and you will begin producing steady smoke.
- Once you have a good smoke being produced and the grill internal temperature is in your target zone go and place ribs in rib rack on indirect side of grill over water pan. Close grill lid and continue to smoke for 1 1/2 hours. Every 20 minutes or so baste the ribs with Carolina Vinegar Sauce using a mop style basting brush.
- After ribs have smoked for 1 1/2 hours lay each individual rack of ribs on a large sheet of foil that is big enough to wrap the rib in completely. Evenly spread the butter, Cleveland Whiskey and brown sugar along the tops of each of the ribs and wrap up tightly, this is called a "Texas Crutch". Place ribs back on the grill and crutch for an hour or longer to desired tenderness of the rib meat. Remove ribs from foil crutch and return to grill. Allow ribs to cook indirectly until ribs have a nice rich mahogany colored bark. Continue to mop with Carolina BBQ Sauce and serve hot.
- Serve with your favorite sides and a glass of Cleveland Underground Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Black Cherry Wood, straight with a few cubes of ice, enjoy.
© 2023 2018 Cleveland Whiskey