June Cooking Club Challenge: Hunan Smoked Beef Ribs

INGREDIENTS:•

•  2 Racks of Beef ribs, 8 Bones each rack
  • 9 cups apple wood chips 6 cups soaked in cool water for 1 hour and drained.
  • 4 tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsp chili flakes
• • 2 cups Hoisin sauce
  • Juice of 3 oranges
  • 2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the rub, combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine evenly. Rub this mixture evenly all over the ribs using slight pressure of the hand as to tear the micro fibers of the meat. Place the rubbed ribs in a large re-sealable bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight
2. The next day prepare the sauce by combining the Hoisin sauce in a medium bowl; add the grated ginger, garlic, orange juice, sherry and sesame seeds.
3. Strain the wood chips. Place 1 cup (250ml) of dry wood chips on a large sheet of aluminum foil mix in 2 cups (500ml) of the wet until evenly distributed. Close the foil up loosely and make a sealed pouch. Pierce the pouch in several spots top and bottom. Repeat to make 3 pouches in total.
4. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. Prepare barbeque by removing the grates, placing a drip pan on one side of grill and placing a smoke pouch on the other side. Replace the grates over the drip pan only.
5. Preheat the grill for indirect cooking by leaving the 2 burners off under the drip pan and putting the heat on under the smoke pouch. Allow to heat to a temperature of 220F (104C) heat. Once smoke beings to form, lift the lid and place the ribs on the grill over the drip pan where there is no heat. Close lid and smoke for 2.5 hours, changing the smoke pouch when smoke dissipates.
6. After 2.5 hours baste the ribs with the sauce. Close lid and continue to cook for 1 hour basting every 30 minutes. Ribs will be done when you can pull them from the bone with ease.
7. Remove ribs from grill loosely tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with left over Hunan sauce.

I was a little nervous going into this one.  To me, smoking meat in the BBQ seemed like a mysterious art and my sad little BBQ was, well, rather uninspiring.  My hubby was convinced it wouldn’t even hold the proper temperature needed but while it did run a little on the hot side, it did do a pretty good job even with an amateur like me at the helm.  Look out Rob Rainford!  Ha ha ha!

I never was able to get 2 racks of ribs so I made do with beef ribs that had already been cut apart.  Prep only took a few minutes and really all the effort was in keeping the temperature steady and changing the smoke packs.  Easy peasy!  The ribs were quite tasty with a great smokey flavor combined with some fabulous heat from the chili’s in the rub where you were aware of the heat in your mouth but not to the point where your tongue was on fire.  I really loved the texture of the ribs, tender and sticky.  To me, that is what BBQ’ed ribs should be like.  :0)

I had a ton of basting sauce left over so I did up some chicken breasts as well.  They worked really well with this and the kids enjoyed them too.

I give this recipe a solid 7.5 chips out of a bag of 10.