Maple-Bourbon Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Name: Maple-Bourbon Glazed Baby Back Ribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 260 min
Cuisine: BBQ and grilling
Ingredients: 2 racks baby back pork ribs; 0,25 cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced; 0,75 cup ketchup; 0,5 cup pure maple syrup; 0,25 cup bourbon; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 0,5 cup apple cider vinegar

Fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs lacquered with a smoky maple-bourbon glaze, balancing sweet, tangy, and deeply savoury notes.

Time: 260 min
Servings: 4
Level: Intermediate

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Original Olivi recipe · nutrition calculated per serving

Ingredients

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4servings

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Instructions

8 steps · tick them off as you cook

Preheat the grill or smoker to 250°F (120°C) with indirect heat and a handful of soaked hickory chips.
Pat 2 racks of baby back ribs dry and peel off the silverskin from the bone side. Rub generously with the dry spice mix (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne) until fully coated.
Place ribs bone-side down on the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and smoke for 2.5 hours, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to keep the surface moist.
2.5 hours
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: in a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter, sweat the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ketchup, maple syrup, bourbon, Dijon, and Worcestershire. Simmer 8-10 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
1 minute
Wrap each rack tightly in foil with a splash of apple juice and return to the grill for 1 hour, until the meat pulls back from the bone by about 1 cm.
1 hour
Unwrap the ribs and brush generously with the maple-bourbon glaze on both sides.
Return unwrapped to the grill for 20-30 minutes, glazing every 10 minutes, until the surface is sticky, caramelized, and mahogany-coloured.
20-30 minutes
Rest the ribs under loose foil for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve with extra glaze on the side.
10 minutes

Chef's tip

Test doneness with the bend test: lift the rack with tongs from one end. If it bends easily and the surface cracks, they're ready. Overcooked ribs fall apart before you can even bite.