BBQ Billy's Grumblings

i love barbecue, and that's just the start.

Bragg's & Scallion Pork Spareribs

Braggsribs_1

I've been bbq'ing and smoking for maybe 10 years now, and anytime I pulled out the smoker its always been for a traditional "bbq." Meaning spicy/sweet rubs with vinegar/tomato sauces all for ribs, shoulders, briskets, wings, etc... we're talkin' B. B. Q. But after making some korean bbq earlier this summer, I figured it was time to venture out of the american south, and into a new territory of soy marinaded ribs.

I started with a similar marinade as i used on that beef, but this time substituted "Bragg's" for the soy sauce, and I actually found Mirin at Hawthorne Valley this time. Recipe follows, but i made the marinade, and the tossed it in a ziploock with a rack of ribs. They sat for about 6 hours in the fridge before I got the coals going the smoker. Here are a few shots of the marinade: 

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I fired up the smoker, and opted out of any additional wood flavor for this one. Just kept it a straight hardwood charcoal event. I tossed the ribs on (meat side down), and smoked for about 2.5 hours before opening up to flip the ribs to bone side down. I then continued smoking for another hour, and took 'em inside. No mopping for these guys, and no finishing sauce. I simply cut 'em up, and tossed on a few scallions for garnish. I served them with soba noodles and some steamed peas with a light bragg's/mirin/scallion sauce. Here are a few shots of the meal: 

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These were 100% different than anything I've ever smoked. They were sweet thanks to that sugar in the marinade, but not overly so. They had a good tang to them, and were pretty tender but still had a nice attachment to the rib. I'm not a huge fan of meat that "falls off the bone" as I like to get a little tug goin'. Suppose it makes me feel like a man, or maybe a dog, not sure exactly but I do like it. The ribs came from Hawthorne Valley right around the corner, and I thought they were ok. Definitely nice that they are local, but I did think Pigasso farm's spare ribs beat these out. That said, it was a solid meal and pretty simple to prepare. Here's a quick recap: 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup Bragg's 3 Tablespoons sugar 
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil 
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirin 
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 3 scallions, minced, plus 1 tablespoon sliced for garnish
  • 1 slab pork spare ribs

Process:

  • Mix everything but the ribs in a bowl until the sugar dissolves entirely. 
  • Pour it into a zip lock bag, and toss in the ribs (I had to cut my slab in half to fit in my zip lock)
  • Shake it all up, then squeeze out as much air as possible and reseal. 
  • Marinate these for at least 4 hrs, or overnight. 
  • Get your smoker or kettle grill going for a low and slow 220-250 degree smoke-fest
  • Smoke the ribs for 2.5 hrs meat side down, flip, and smoke for an hour more. 
  • Slice into individual ribs and garnish with sliced scallions. 
  • Devour.