Grilling
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[ Photographs: Joshua Bousel ]

About the author: Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment each Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 4
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: 5 hours
Special equipment: Smoker or grill

Ingredients

  • For the Rub:
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  •  
  • 2 racks baby back ribs
  • 1 to 2 fist sized chunks of light smoking wood, like apple or cherry
  • 1 cup balsamic barbecue sauce
  •  
  • Type of fire: Indirect
  • Grill heat: Low

Procedures

  1. To make the rub: Mix together brown sugar, paprika, white pepper, thyme, garlic powder, Szechuan peppercorns, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

  2. Remove membrane from back of each rack of ribs and trim meat of excess fat. Season ribs liberally with rub all over.

  3. Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood when at temperature. When the wood is ignited and producing smoke, place the ribs in smoker or grill, meat side up, and smoke until the ribs have a slight bend when lifted from one end, 4-5 hours.

  4. In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, baste top of each rack with balsamic barbecue sauce and continue smoking to caramelize sauce. Remove from smoker, slice, and serve with remaining balsamic barbecue sauce.