Maple-Bourbon Glazed BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 0,25 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 0,5 cup pure maple syrup
• 0,25 cup bourbon whiskey
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, minced
• 0,25 cup apple juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your smoker or grill to 250°F (120°C) with indirect heat, adding a handful of soaked hickory chips for that signature smoky perfume.

2. 2

   Pat the ribs dry with paper towel, peel off the silver membrane from the bone side, then rub all over with 2 tbsp yellow mustard as a binder.

3. 3

   Combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then massage the dry rub generously into every crevice of the meat.

4. 4

   Place the ribs bone-side down on the grate and smoke low and slow for 3 hours, until the surface is mahogany and the rub has set into a bark.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, simmer maple syrup, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, minced garlic, and chipotle in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes, until reduced and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon.

6. 6

   Wrap the ribs tightly in foil with a splash of apple juice, then return to the smoker for another 1.5 hours, until the meat pulls back from the bone by about 1 cm.

7. 7

   Unwrap the ribs, brush liberally with the maple-bourbon glaze, and grill uncovered for a final 20 minutes, basting twice, until the glaze caramelizes into a sticky lacquer.

8. 8

   Rest the ribs under a loose foil tent for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve with extra warm glaze on the side.