Cherry-Smoked Pork Ribs with Lemon-Honey Glaze

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Baby back ribs rubbed with dried oregano, garlic and lemon zest, then smoked low and slow over cherry wood until the meat pulls back from the bone. A three-minute honey, lemon and butter glaze goes on at the wrap and again at the end, so the ribs come off sticky, bright and gently smoky rather than heavy and sweet. Twelve ingredients, mostly hands-off, and the smoker does all the real work.

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 lb total)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 4 chunks cherry wood chunks (or 3 cups cherry chips)

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Flip the racks bone-side up, slide a butter knife under the thin papery membrane at one end, grip it with a paper towel and pull it off. Rub the ribs all over with the olive oil, then mix the oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest and pat it evenly over both sides. Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while the smoker heats.
2. Set up your smoker for 250°F (120°C) with cherry wood chunks over the coals, or cherry chips in the box of a pellet/electric smoker. Wait until the smoke runs thin and blue rather than thick and white before the meat goes in.
3. Lay the racks bone-side down on the grate, not touching, and smoke undisturbed for 3 hours. The bark should be deep mahogany and dry to the touch, and an instant-read thermometer in the meat between the bones will read around 160-170°F (71-77°C) as it stalls.
4. While the ribs smoke, warm the honey, lemon juice, butter and red wine vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring just until the butter melts and it comes together. Set aside.
5. Tear off two large sheets of heavy foil. Brush half the glaze over the meat side of each rack, wrap tightly (meat side down), and return to the smoker for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature between the bones reaches 200-203°F (93-95°C) and a probe slides in with no resistance.
6. Unwrap carefully, pour off the foil juices, and set the racks back on the grate meat side up. Brush with the remaining glaze and smoke uncovered for 15 minutes to set it into a sticky shine.
7. Rest the ribs on a board for 10 minutes, then slice down between the bones and serve with lemon wedges if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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