Sugarcane-Glazed Spareribs

Step 1

In a saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to use. Any excess should be stored in a jar with tight-fitting lid and refrigerated for up to a month.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and combine. Pour into a clean, dry Mason jar and seal. Stored in a dry pantry, it should keep for six months or longer.

Step 3

Rinse the spareribs and pat dry. Move them to a tray and inspect that the tough membrane has been removed. Rub the ribs with oil and coat evenly with the dry rub mix. Place on the tray, cover with foil and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 4

Preheat your gas grill by turning on the burners on one side of the grill only. Clean the grill on the other side where the ribs will cook. Place an oven thermometer on the grill and cover.

Step 5

In a disposable 6-inch deep aluminum foil pan, fill halfway with a combination of hickory wood chips and chunks that have soaked in water for at least 1 hour. Seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and poke a few holes in the foil cover. In another aluminum foil container, pour the water and apple juice to the halfway point.

Step 6

On the cold side of the grill, add the ribs meat side down. On the hot side of the grill, remove the grates and place the aluminum foil pan containing the hickory wood directly over the burners. Reduce the burners to low and replace the grates. Position the pan of water/apple juice on the grates directly over the burners and wood. Check the thermometer and adjust the gas burners to bring to and maintain a temperature of 275ºF. Close the grill and let cook watching to see that smoke is ventilating from the closed grill as it cooks.

Step 7

After 1 hour, the smoke should no longer be ventilating and it is time to check the first cooking. Open the cover, check the inside temperature and replenish the hickory wood as well as adding more liquid, if needed. Cover the grill and cook for a second hour of smoking.

Step 8

After 2 hours, the smoke will have done its job. Open the cover and remove the water pan as well as the hickory wood pan. Turn the ribs over to the bone side and continue cooking for another hour.

Step 9

At this point (3 hours of cooking), uncover the grill and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Again, check to see that the temperature is maintained at 275ºF. Cover the grill and continue cooking for 1 hour.

Step 10

Uncover the grill and unwrap the ribs. With a knife, remove one of the ribs to check for doneness. Well-cooked spareribs should not “fall-off-the-bone”, but rather should tug away from the bone and still have enough texture to bite into. There should also be a crimson colored smoke ring around the meat. If the meat is not sufficiently cooked to a tenderness, then rewrap in foil and cook longer checking for doneness each half hour.

Step 11

Once the ribs are tender, mop on the sugarcane sauce with a generous coating on both sides. Place the ribs (in the aluminum foil uncovered) back on the grill, close the grill and let cook just until the sauce warms through and the glaze sets, about 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: control your heat and be sure not to let the sauce burn.)

Step 12

Remove the ribs to a tray, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. For serving, slice the ribs along each bone and pile onto a platter with more of the sugarcane sauce on the side. In South Louisiana, we serve barbecue with hot French bread, cold potato salad, and baked beans. Oh, and lots of ice-cold beer.

Step 13

In a saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to use. Any excess should be stored in a jar with tight-fitting lid and refrigerated for up to a month.

Step 14

In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and combine. Pour into a clean, dry Mason jar and seal. Stored in a dry pantry, it should keep for six months or longer.

Step 15

Rinse the spareribs and pat dry. Move them to a tray and inspect that the tough membrane has been removed. Rub the ribs with oil and coat evenly with the dry rub mix. Place on the tray, cover with foil and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 16

Preheat your gas grill by turning on the burners on one side of the grill only. Clean the grill on the other side where the ribs will cook. Place an oven thermometer on the grill and cover.

Step 17

In a disposable 6-inch deep aluminum foil pan, fill halfway with a combination of hickory wood chips and chunks that have soaked in water for at least 1 hour. Seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and poke a few holes in the foil cover. In another aluminum foil container, pour the water and apple juice to the halfway point.

Step 18

On the cold side of the grill, add the ribs meat side down. On the hot side of the grill, remove the grates and place the aluminum foil pan containing the hickory wood directly over the burners. Reduce the burners to low and replace the grates. Position the pan of water/apple juice on the grates directly over the burners and wood. Check the thermometer and adjust the gas burners to bring to and maintain a temperature of 275ºF. Close the grill and let cook watching to see that smoke is ventilating from the closed grill as it cooks.

Step 19

After 1 hour, the smoke should no longer be ventilating and it is time to check the first cooking. Open the cover, check the inside temperature and replenish the hickory wood as well as adding more liquid, if needed. Cover the grill and cook for a second hour of smoking.

Step 20

After 2 hours, the smoke will have done its job. Open the cover and remove the water pan as well as the hickory wood pan. Turn the ribs over to the bone side and continue cooking for another hour.

Step 21

At this point (3 hours of cooking), uncover the grill and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Again, check to see that the temperature is maintained at 275ºF. Cover the grill and continue cooking for 1 hour.

Step 22

Uncover the grill and unwrap the ribs. With a knife, remove one of the ribs to check for doneness. Well-cooked spareribs should not “fall-off-the-bone”, but rather should tug away from the bone and still have enough texture to bite into. There should also be a crimson colored smoke ring around the meat. If the meat is not sufficiently cooked to a tenderness, then rewrap in foil and cook longer checking for doneness each half hour.

Step 23

Once the ribs are tender, mop on the sugarcane sauce with a generous coating on both sides. Place the ribs (in the aluminum foil uncovered) back on the grill, close the grill and let cook just until the sauce warms through and the glaze sets, about 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: control your heat and be sure not to let the sauce burn.)

Step 24

Remove the ribs to a tray, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. For serving, slice the ribs along each bone and pile onto a platter with more of the sugarcane sauce on the side. In South Louisiana, we serve barbecue with hot French bread, cold potato salad, and baked beans. Oh, and lots of ice-cold beer.