Cherry-Smoked Garam Masala Pork Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Baby back ribs rubbed with garam masala, cumin and Kashmiri chilli, then smoked low and slow over cherry wood at 250°F until the meat pulls back and probes tender at 203°F. A foil wrap with butter, honey and lime keeps them juicy and builds a sticky, faintly sweet glaze that tastes like a tandoor and a barbecue pit shook hands. Only a handful of pantry spices and one long, lazy afternoon.

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2 lb / 900 g each)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or sweet paprika)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 chunks cherry wood (or 2 cups cherry wood chips)

Instructions

1. Pat the ribs dry. Slide a butter knife under the thin membrane on the bone side of each rack, grip it with a paper towel and peel it off. Smear both racks all over with the yellow mustard as a binder.
2. Stir together the brown sugar, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Coat the ribs evenly on all sides, pressing the rub in. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes while the smoker comes up to heat.
3. Set your smoker to 250°F (120°C) and add the cherry wood chunks (or a foil pouch of soaked chips over the heat source). Wait for thin blue smoke, not billowing white smoke, before the ribs go on.
4. Smoke the ribs bone side down for 3 hours without opening the lid more than you must. The rub should be set into a dry, dark bark and the internal temperature between the bones should read about 165°F (74°C).
5. Lay each rack meat side down on a doubled sheet of heavy foil. Divide the butter pats, honey and lime juice over the bone side, wrap tightly, and return to the smoker for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until a probe slides into the meat between the bones with no resistance and reads 203°F (95°C).
6. Open the foil carefully, brush the ribs with the buttery juices from the packet, and set them back on the grate unwrapped for 15 to 20 minutes to firm the glaze.
7. Rest the racks for 15 minutes, then slice between the bones and spoon over any remaining juices.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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