Shelly's Recipe

Balsamic Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Category: Ribs

Type of fire: Indirect
Grill heat: Low

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 racks baby back ribs
1 to 2 fist sized chunks of light smoking wood, like apple or cherry
1 cup balsamic barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

To make the rub: Mix together brown sugar, salt, sugar, paprika, white pepper, black pepper, ground mustard, dried thyme, garlic powder, Szechuan peppercorns, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove membrane from back of each rack of ribs and trim meat of excess fat. Season ribs liberally with rub all over.

Fire up smoker or grill to 225, adding chunks of smoking wood when at temperature. When the wood is ignited and producing smoke, place the ribs in smoker or grill, meat side up, and smoke until the ribs have a slight bend when lifted from one end, 4-5 hours.

In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, baste top of each rack with balsamic barbecue sauce and continue smoking to caramelize sauce. Remove from smoker, slice, and serve with remaining balsamic barbecue sauce.

Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely minced shallots (about 1 medium)
2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste
Kosher salt, to taste

Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add in shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in reduced balsamic vinegar, ketchup, honey, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and additional pepper to taste.

For smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender, or in the jar of a regular blender, until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to a month.