Kansas City-style smoked pork spare ribs

Ingredients

• 2.4 kg whole pork spare ribs
• 3 tbsp mild American yellow mustard
• 90 g brown cane sugar
• 2 tbsp ground sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp dehydrated garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dehydrated onion powder
• 1 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 60 g pasteurized unsalted butter 82% fat
• 120 ml pure apple juice with no added sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 250 g Kansas City-style barbecue sauce

Method

1. Prepare the meat by removing the thin white membrane located on the bone side of the whole pork spare ribs: slide the tip of a paring knife under the membrane to lift it, grab it with a paper towel, and pull it off in one sharp motion from one end of the rack to the other. Pat the entire surface of the meat completely dry.
2. In a bowl, prepare the spice blend by combining the brown sugar, sweet paprika, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, fine salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until you have a homogeneous powder.
3. Brush the ribs with a light layer of yellow mustard on all sides to create a base for adhesion, then evenly sprinkle the spice blend, gently patting it in with the palm of your hand without rubbing. Let rest at room temperature for thirty minutes, until the spices darken and absorb the surface moisture.
4. Preheat your smoker or barbecue configured for indirect cooking to 110 °C with apple or hickory wood chunks. Place the ribs meat-side up on the grate, close the lid, and let smoke for three hours, until the crust takes on a deep mahogany hue and springs back under finger pressure.
5. Unroll a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Distribute pats of unsalted butter and a pinch of brown sugar on the foil, then place the ribs meat-side down. Pour the apple juice and apple cider vinegar into the bottom, then tightly fold the aluminum foil around the ribs, being careful not to pierce the packet with the ends of the bones.
6. Return the rib packets to the smoker or oven at 110 °C and steam-roast for two hours. Check for tenderness: the meat should have shrunk back along the bones by about half a centimeter, and a wooden skewer inserted between two bones should go in with minimal resistance.
7. Carefully open the foil packet, watching out for steam, remove the ribs, and place them directly back on the grate meat-side up. Generously brush the top side with the Kansas City-style barbecue sauce using a basting brush.
8. Continue cooking uncovered at 110 °C for about thirty to forty minutes, applying a second coat of sauce halfway through, until the glaze becomes glossy, sticky, and lightly caramelized.
9. Transfer the ribs to a wooden board and let the meat rest uncovered for ten to fifteen minutes to let the juices settle. Turn the ribs bone-side up to see where to cut, then slice cleanly between each rib with a large, sharp knife before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

833.8 kcal

Protein

53.55 g

Carbohydrate

39.96 g

Fat

51.11 g

Fibre

2.23 g

Calcium

64.05 mg

Iron

2.09 mg

Magnesium

25.04 mg