Spicy Smoked Spareribs
Spicy smoked spareribs with a 10-spice dry rub featuring five spice powder and ginger, parboiled then smoked over hickory with a peach preserves basting sauce.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
75 minREADY
3 hrsEight pounds of pork ribs rubbed down with a ten-spice blend, smoked over hickory or mesquite, and basted with a sweet-hot peach sauce. This is a weekend project that pays off big.
The dry rub is where these ribs stand out. Ginger, dry mustard, Chinese five spice powder, sage, chili powder, and crushed red pepper create a complex heat that’s more interesting than straight cayenne. Rub it into the parboiled ribs and let them sit wrapped in foil for two hours so those spices have time to penetrate.
Parboiling for ten minutes before smoking renders out excess fat and cuts the total smoke time to about an hour. That’s smart if you don’t want to babysit a smoker all afternoon. The ribs are already partially cooked, so the smoke session is about flavor and bark, not raw-to-done.
The basting sauce is the surprise here. Peach preserves blended with barbecue sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and hot sauce create a glaze that caramelizes on the surface each time you baste and turn.
Pro Tips
- Soak your wood chips for at least 30 minutes so they smolder and smoke rather than catch fire
- Keep the smoker vents half-open to maintain airflow. Fully closed vents smother the smoke and turn it bitter
- Baste every 15 minutes when you turn the ribs. Each layer builds a stickier, more lacquered finish
- If you want thicker basting sauce, add the cornstarch slurry gradually. You can always thicken more but can’t thin easily
Variations
- Swap peach preserves for apricot preserves for a tangier glaze
- Use apple wood chips instead of hickory for a milder, sweeter smoke flavor
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the basting sauce before heating for deeper warmth
Ingredients
Directions
Place a handful of hickory or mesquite chips into cold water and set aside.
Parboil rib sections in boiling water for about ten minutes. (This partially cooks them and renders much of the fat.) Remove rib sections and set on wire rack to cool.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and blend well with a fork.
When rib sections are cool, rub the dry ingredient mixture into the meat.
Stack rib sections, seal in aluminum foil and let them sit in the refrigerator for about two hours.
After two hours, start the coals in your smoker.
Combine ingredients for basting sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer the basting sauce to a saucepan and heat over low heat until it begins to bubble.
If you prefer for the basting sauce to be thicker, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water, and mix a little of the cornstarch mixture into the basting sauce a bit at a time to until desired consistency is achieved.
When the coals are uniform gray, scatter a few of the wet wood chips over them.
Rub grill with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
Brush ribs with basting sauce and place them on the grill.
Cover with smoker lid (leave vents about half-open).
Grill the ribs for about an hour, turning about every fifteen minutes and basting as you turn them.
Add wood chips to the coals as necessary to maintain smoke.
Serve ribs with warm basting sauce.
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