Crunchy bourbon peach ribs
“The delicious combination of the tender, smokey ribs with the sweet fruit tones and bourbon.”
Thinking of the South, besides the BBQ, two things quickly come to mind: peaches and bourbon. And that they are not wrong thoughts at all, you will find out quickly with this recipe. The delicious combination of this tender, crunchy bourbon peach ribs with the sweet fruit tones will quickly make this one of your summer favorites. The bourbon and the slightly salty crunch of the quinoa make for a more robust flavor.
The ingredients:
(4 serves)
Ribs:
- 4 thick-meat spare ribs
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 4 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1¼ cups Piggy Mix
- ½ cup butter
- 1⅔ cups plus 1 tbsp bourbon-peach BBQ sauce
Bourbon Peach BBQ Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 fresh red pepper, seedless, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2,5 oz apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 peach, stoned and diced
- 1,8 oz bourbon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crunchy crunch:
- 8 tbsp puffed quinoa
- 3.4 oz. sunflower oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley
Gear:
- Phillips screwdriver
- aluminum foil
- spray bottle
- 4 to 5 apple wood chunks
- BBQ with lid or smoker
How to make:
Duration: 15 minutes
Preparation: 4.5 hours
Deflesh the spare ribs by inserting a Phillips screwdriver between the pleura and the bone on the back of the rack. Gently pry the screwdriver back and forth until it is between membrane and bone across the entire width. Then pull it toward you, thus pulling the entire membrane away from the rack. Lightly coat each rack on both sides with sriracha sauce and season evenly on both sides of the spare ribs with the salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
Prepare a BBQ with lid for indirect grilling at 130 °C. Add the smoking wood chunks to the coals and place the seasoned spare ribs on the grill. Cook the ribs for about 3 hours, wetting them with Smokey’s pig spray every half hour. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil if they are nice and golden brown in color and before you close the foil, put a knob of butter on the ribs.
Cook the ribs with the convex side down for about an hour and a half. Prick with a cocktail stick in the meat between the bones. If the cocktail stick goes in with a lot of effort, then the spare ribs are still too raw, if you don’t feel any resistance, then they are overcooked. A perfect spare rib gives a little resistance when you prick it. This technique requires some practice but once you have it in your fingers, you never have to remove a spare rib from the foil before it is cooked.
Meanwhile, in a skillet or heavy pan, heat the sunflower oil to 180°C and fry the puffed quinoa in it until the oil stops bubbling. Scoop the quinoa out of the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with some salt, allow to cool and mix with the parsley.
When your spare ribs are properly cooked remove them from the aluminum foil and place back on the BBQ. Heat the bourbon-peach BBQ sauce and brush them with it. Leave on the BBQ for a few minutes for the sauce to adhere to the ribs. At the last minute, sprinkle the crispy quinoa over the ribs and serve with a smile
