Asian Smoked Ribs

Summer is upon us. The time of year when you're forced to eat terrible BBQ made by friends and family. Charred hot dogs and hamburgers, well done steaks, and chewy ribs. Men huddle around the grill, beers in hand, to discuss the secrets of their grilling prowess. "How do you get that wonderful lighter fluid taste on these burgers?" they ask each other eagerly. It's amateur hour in backyards across the nation - until now. You're going to be the catalyst for change. You're going to be the one whose BBQ is so good that you're no longer invited to the neighborhood pool party. You're going to do it with these ribs and your smoker.

I use the Weber Smokey Mountain. You don't need anything fancier. Buying a Big Green Egg or pellet smoker isn't going to instantly make you better, big guy. You've got to learn to walk before you run.

Unlike your run of the mill smoked ribs, these have an Asian spin to them thanks to a rub from chef Josh Galliano. Mix the ingredients below in a bowl - I typically double or even triple the amount so I can have some ready to go next time I get the urge for these. The amount below should still yield a little extra for next time.

When the ribs are almost done, you'll add Momofuku's Korean ssam sauce (For the Ssam Sauce, you can either buy it directly from Momofuku or make it yourself. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl). By the end, you'll have fall-apart tender ribs with a little heat and a little tang. The ssam gives it an umami flavor that just takes these over the top. Full recipe for the ribs and sauce below.

I used St. Louis-cut spare ribs with the rib tips cut off, but you can use whatever you'd like.

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Asian Smoked Ribs

based on a recipe by Josh Galliano


Asian Smoked Ribs

YIELD: 1 | PREP: 15 HOURS | ACTIVE: 5 MIN | TOTAL: 15 HOURS AND 5 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

ASIAN RIB RUB

Recipe by Josh Galliano

1 rack of ribs
5 T brown sugar or honey
3 T salt
1 t ground coriander
3 t chinese 5 spice
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne
1/4 t chili flakes

SSAM SAUCE

Recipe by David Chang

2 T ssamjang (fermented bean and chili paste, available at Asian groceries)
1 T Chili Paste (Gochujang, found next to the Ssamjang above)
1/2 C sherry vinegar
1/2 C neutral oil (like grapeseed)



METHOD

Ribs

Liberally apply the rub to both sides of the ribs and refrigerate overnight.

Light your smoker and get it to a temperature between 230 and 250 F. I like to use cherry wood primarily, but will add in apple and hickory if I feel like it. If using an oven, heat to 250 F.

Place ribs on the rack and smoke for 3 hours. At this point, brush both sides with Ssam sauce and cook an additional 30 minutes. I sometimes remove the water bowl at the very, very end and put the ribs just above the coals.

If cooking in the oven, place ribs in a foil packet and cook for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, unwrap the packet and cook for an additional hour or until ribs are tender.

Bring inside and eat ribs like an animal.

Asian Smoked Pork Ribs

Asian Smoked Pork Ribs

Asian Smoked Ribs Close Up

Asian Smoked Ribs Close Up

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