Apple-Smoked Char Siu Spare Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A rack of spare ribs rubbed with five-spice and brown sugar, smoked low and slow over apple wood, then lacquered with a three-ingredient hoisin-honey glaze. All the sticky-sweet flavour of Chinatown barbecue pork with a clean layer of fruitwood smoke, and only twelve things on the shopping list. The smoker does everything — you just check the clock and the thermometer.

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork spare ribs, St. Louis cut (about 5 lb total)
• 3 chunks apple wood (or 3 cups apple wood chips)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Slide a butter knife under the papery membrane on the bone side of each rack, grip it with a paper towel and peel it off, then pat the ribs dry. Mix the brown sugar, salt, five-spice, garlic powder and black pepper and rub it evenly over both sides of both racks. Let the ribs sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up to heat.
2. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F (120°C) and add the apple wood chunks (or a foil packet of soaked chips) once the temperature is steady. You want thin blue smoke, not thick white smoke, before the meat goes on.
3. Place the racks meat side up directly on the grate, close the lid, and smoke undisturbed for 3 hours at 250°F. Resist opening the lid — the bark sets in this stage.
4. Lay each rack on a large sheet of heavy foil, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the honey and the rice vinegar, and wrap tightly. Return to the smoker and cook for a further 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer slid between the bones reads 200-203°F (93-95°C) and a toothpick slides into the meat with no resistance.
5. While the ribs are wrapped, whisk the hoisin, remaining 2 tablespoons honey and the soy sauce in a small bowl to make the char siu glaze.
6. Unwrap the ribs, discarding the foil juices, and set them back on the grate meat side up. Brush generously with the glaze and smoke uncovered for 25-30 minutes, brushing once more halfway, until the glaze is dark, tacky and set and the internal temperature holds at 203°F (95°C).
7. Rest the racks on a board for 15 minutes, then slice between the bones and scatter with sliced scallions. Serve with any leftover glaze warmed and spooned over.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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